Lambert House Renovations & Move

MORTGAGE PAID OFF – DEFERRED MAINTENANCE NEXT

In early 2024, Lambert House retired the $2 million mortgage on our property. Paying off a $2 million mortgage in 7 years was a big achievement. If you are one of the donors who contributed to that first phase of our capital campaign, thank you.

Now that we own our facility, we have a responsibility to ourselves and to the youth to maintain it for the future. So far, we have raised $2,700,000 to stop the steadily worsening flooding of the basement, improve earthquake resilience of the building, expand program space, and renovate our main floor kitchen, dining room, and bathrooms. (Some volunteers will remember being in the basement with our program director with five-gallon buckets bailing an estimated 1,500 cubic feet, or 11,220 gallons, of water in a single day. Foundation leaks are common among houses of similar vintage in Seattle.)

THE CONSTRUCTION

Construction to replace the entire foundation began in August 2024. The house was lifted off its 1901 brick foundation, a new foundation has now been built, and the house was set back down in November 2024.

The foundation’s 1901 brick walls and concrete slab were demolished and removed. Dirt was removed; the floor will be lowered; deeper foundation trenches were excavated; footing drains have been installed; sub-floor drainage was installed before a new floor slab is poured; the sewer pipe to the street was lowered; new foundation walls will be poured. Next, windows and exterior doors will be installed; the steep, narrow basement stairs will be replaced; ceiling height will be increased; heat will be added; a bathroom will be added; a new ADA lift and path from the parking lot will be added to the front porch, serving both the main floor and new basement; and new, dry youth programming space will be created including an art studio and a media lounge. Our kitchen will be gut-renovated, plumbing and electrical upgraded, bathrooms will be moved and renovated, dining room will be expanded to add more seating, and new storage will be installed. Because the renovation was expanded to add the kitchen, dining room, and main floor bathrooms, we do not yet have a solid timeline, but we expect construction to continue through 2025.

WHERE ARE WE MOVING TO?

During the foundation replacement and main floor renovations, Lambert House will occupy another old Capitol Hill house and its adjacent carriage house at the South East corner of the Saint Mark’s Cathedral Campus:

1229 10th Avenue East, Seattle, WA 98102

TRANSPORTATION

To reach our temporary location:

  1. METRO Bus Route #49 stops right in front, connecting to Link Light Rail and other METRO busses at the Capitol Hill Station

  2. Walk 19 minutes to/from the Capitol Hill Light Rail Station

  3. Drive 6 minutes from our 15th Avenue location

WHEN WILL WE START PROGRAMMING IN THE NEW SPACE?

Our first youth events at 1229 10th Avenue East will be:

PARKING

  1. Ample free street parking near 1229 - 10th Ave. East is available on:

    • 10th Avenue East

    • East Galer Street

    • East Highland Drive

    • Federal Avenue East

  2. Parking on the St. Mark’s campus costs $2.18 per hour. Signs explain how to pay. We do not know how strictly it is enforced.

PEDESTRIAN SAFETY

When arriving on foot from the light rail, by northbound #49 bus, or when parking on the street, please use the PEDESTRIAN STOP LIGHT and crosswalk at East Galer Street. There is a lot of fast-moving traffic on 10th Ave. East. Let’s not have any accidents or injuries.

MISCELLANY & WHAT TO EXPECT

Adjusting to a new space may be disconcerting or unsettling. We do not completely control the temporary space in the way we are used to, so staff may be able to say ‘Yes,’ or have to say ‘No,’ to some suggestions. Some of the spaces will be used by other groups when we are not there.

We’ll be in two separate buildings, connected by a short, outdoor walkway with several steps. There will be some new and/or different rules related to how we use these new spaces.

We’ll have fewer rooms for youth, and fewer offices. There is a bathroom in each building. Both spaces are wheelchair accessible but getting between them in a wheelchair is circuitous and outdoors. We can decorate the interior of one of the buildings but not the other.

We’re lucky to have found the space at St. Mark’s. The cathedral leadership, staff, and congregants are extremely welcoming to Lambert House.

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN ONGOING

We still need money to complete the interior of the new basement including for furniture, and program equipment and supplies. We hope to have an art studio, lounge/media room, improved clothing and hygiene bank, event supply storage, server room, and bathroom.  

If you want to make a contribution or a pledge to the capital campaign, please make it in addition to any donations to our programming that you usually make. Capital campaigns are one-time and must not cannibalize operating support. We still need your support to run our programs.

As always, you may donate at www.lamberthouse.org through the PayPal or Network for Good links there. You can also always donate by check, which saves 3% processing fees. You may even hand me cash. Appreciated stock can be easily transferred into our Morgan Stanley brokerage account. Cars can be donated (see our website). You can designate “Capital Campaign” with any of these donation types. Any amount is valuable. No amount is too small or too large.

Warmly,

-Ken