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Published on April 02, 2024
Seattle Celebrates the Inauguration of New Community Boathouse at Green Lake ParkSource: Google Street View

Seattle's boating community is all set to make a splash with the grand opening of a new Green Lake Community Boathouse on April 13. According to an announcement by Seattle Parks and Recreation, the boathouse is finally complete and ready to serve as a hub for youth and adults alike to engage in rowing and paddling activities. The ribbon-cutting ceremony, inviting locals to celebrate the community and its partners' labor of love, is scheduled for 11 a.m. at Green Lake Park's Small Craft Center.

The project, blooming from the robust partnership between Seattle Parks and Recreation and various community groups—including the Green Lake Rowing Advisory Council and the Seattle Canoe and Kayak Advisory Council—aims to ensure inclusive access to watersports for youth across all backgrounds. Founded with energy by storied UW rowing coach Al Ulbrickson in 1948, the 75-year-old Green Lake Crew program will also call the new property home. With historically significant roots, this program continues to open doors for Seattle's younger generation, channeling some towards national and international success.

The boathouse, spanning 10,800 square feet, promises to bolster public programs with increased boat storage and instructional space. Parkways Seattle reports that it is fully accessible, paving the way for the initiation of Seattle's first public adaptive rowing program, alongside the expansion of para canoeing offerings. As it provides much-needed facilities like restrooms and community meeting spaces, the environmentally-conscious building also boasts a LEED certification.

The boathouse will also house the Green Lake Crew's legacy as a pioneering public junior rowing program, and the Seattle Canoe and Kayak Club, reputed since 1969 as the only public program promoting competitive and recreational paddling in Seattle. Further echoing the project's communal roots, the collective efforts of community volunteers raised a significant over $3 million in private funds and secured an additional $1.4 million through public grants, as proudly shared in the Parkways Seattle publication.

Nonprofit organizations like the Associated Recreation Council, the Green Lake Rowing Advisory Council, and the Seattle Canoe & Kayak Advisory Council, drive the public programs at Green Lake with the aim of ensuring equitable and dynamic recreational activities for every Seattle resident, as pointed out by Parkways Seattle.