See photos of the building progress on our Flickr site.

Gene Yore, Magnuson Project Manager, for the NFCC

Groundbreaking for a new Mountaineers home will begin on Presidents Day, Feb. 18, as a result of the recent signing of a construction contract for remodeling Building 67 in Magnuson Park. Though Mountaineers volunteers have been busy helping with some demolition work over the past couple months, Saltaire, Inc., will start the technical work of remodeling on Monday with a tentative deadline of completion set for Sept. 9. The Mountaineers are scheduled to occupy the new building in the fall.

Mountaineers Project Manager Gene Yore noted that the flexibility in the deadline is important to ensure that quality is not compromised when it comes to the building's accommodations. "We are more interested in quality than the time (factor)," he stated.

The first area of the building to undergo reconstruction will be the roof, according to Yore, in five sections, starting from north to south. The demolition of non-hazardous interior structures will follow.

The general contract with Saltaire totals just over $3.5 million. Yore noted that the "soft costs," permit fees, architectural fees, consultation fees and other preparatory work, will bring the total cost of the remodel to $4.2 million. The club's portion of that cost is $2.5 million. Goodman Real Estate, the purchaser of The Mountaineers' former headquarters in Queen Anne, Seattle, is picking up the balance of the total cost.

Saltaire Construction has been impressed with both the quality and quantity. We have developed both management and accounting methods with Saltaire to continue volunteer work through out the renovation. Saltaire will credit The Mountaineers for the value of this work. Work parties have gutted storage bins in the shed and removed the wooden beams from its face to minimize damage during demolition.

These beams are to be reused in the canopy along the front of the building. We have salvaged the shed's chain-link fence for future reuse in the lower-level storage areas. We have also made three trips to recycling, and salvaged several tons of pipe and other metals which will be sold for scrap and other purposes. The photos above show the shed before and after volunteers extracted the beams and removed apparatus from the shed's interior.

Gene Yore, Magnuson Project Manager, for the NFCC

Ten Mountaineers volunteers spent Sat., Dec. 1, carefully removing a floating floor left by Circus Contraption. This Magnuson work party salvaged about 110 sheets of plywood that will be reused during the renovation. This outstanding effort will save $3,500 and divert this plywood from a landfill. Nice work, and thanks!

The Magnuson Instructional Requirements Group (MIRG) met in December to perform a critical review of the fi nal construction drawings and plans. A few new requirements were identifi ed that had not been previously documented. We hope to accommodate these within the current scope. No deficiencies were identified.

On Dec. 10, along with Walt Reissig of MIRG, we reviewed the south climbing wall at EnterPrises in Redmond, Oregon. The wall builders are exceeding both our expectations and their proposal. The south wall was moved to a secure storage space in December to await installation in May 2008. EnterPrises is scheduled to fabricate our interior wall in February.

A move as soon as July 2008 appears achievable.

All contract language, except guaranteed maximum price (GMP), was agreed to with Turner Construction Co. last month. However, we did not sign the general contract as anticipated. Turner?s GMP was unexpected and out of line. Turner is studying its price and may revise it and recommend value engineering alternatives. The NFCC is also getting bids from two additional fully qualified general contractors. We anticipate having a plan and proceeding next month.

Glenn Eades, the Magnuson Instructional Requirements Group co-chair, and I visited Entre Prises? factory in Redmond, Oregon, last month to review the fabrication of the South Climbing Wall. The steel frame and fiberglass skin for the left tower are complete. This defines the overhaul topography. We made a few minor modifications. We also watched the chalk stone being positioned in the left chimney. A climber can either squeeze behind it or come out on the face and climb over it. Next the climbing surface is applied. It is a composite and defines all the detail cracks, huecos and other detail features. The right tower is to be fabricated during December.

The NFCC selected Commercial Sound & Video as our audio vendor. They bid the simplest and least expensive system. It will be really simple to reconfigure and control volume for any of the various configurations of our multi-purpose rooms.

Gene Yore, NFCC

The Master Use Permit and the Building Permit were delayed. The City reversed itself and required a full Geo-Tech report for the Environmental Critical Slopes on the west and south sides of the South Plaza. The resulting soil tests dictated that the hiking trail be redesigned and the south slope beefed up with more boulders and rocks to stabilize it.

Turner Construction selected the electrical contractor in October. They should have all the subs under contract by early November. Likewise the buy out of all material should be complete in early November.

Last month we met with Parks management to brief them on our grand plan. We request extending our lease to most of the lower level. We also discuss details of The Mountaineers Annual Plan which is required by our lease. They are very positive and are anxious to have us there.

Also, last month volunteers preformed several tasks for the-good-of-the-cause. Three helped Circus Contraption move so the building could be vacated 3 weeks early. Another volunteer did pre-construction power wash cleanup. Two people helped hang the banner. Thanks to John Wick, Charlie Zwick, Manlio Vecchiet, and Glenn Eades.

The most recent draft schedule shows our move during May 2006. This is more realistic. We will have the final schedule next.

Gene Yore, NFCC

The contract with Turner Construction Co., the general contractor, has also taken longer than anticipated to complete. The drawing revisions and legal comments have required the additional time. A two-phase contract is now likely to allow demolition and hazardous material abatement to begin before all the updates to the plan are finished.

It is anticipated that the Master Use Permit and the building permit will be approved by the time this goes to press.

The contract with Entre Prises was signed in September for the factory fabrication and on-site installation of the climbing walls. Structural steel is on order. Fabrication of our wall for the climbing plaza will occupy most of Entre Prises' factory floor in Bend, Oregon, through the end of December.

Volunteers will play an important role in completing certain interior furnishings and other elements not included in the construction budget. Six volunteer carpenters will be needed for a week each in February. Also, a woodworker and a cabinet maker will be needed to modify existing mail boxes, selected work stations and book shelves, and build two AV-computer-friendly podiums.

In the traditional spirit of the club, volunteers have already come forward. One has volunteered to power wash areas that need pre-construction preparation for the installation of climbing facilities and nearly all of the six carpenter needed have stepped forth.

An artist with architectural illustration or sketching experience is needed to prepare plan renderings to be used in promotional materials, press releases and communications with club members, the City of Seattle and general public. Anyone who wishes to volunteer is invited to contact The Mountaineers administrative offices and leave your name, skills and availability.

Late April, 2008, remains the optimistic move-in date!

Gene Yore, NFCC

We expect to sign a negotiated contract with Turner Construction Co. in earlier September. The Master Use Permit and Building Permit approvals are on a similar schedule. Seattle Parks has notified the five current tenets in Building 67 of the need to vacate in October. After securing the construction site the first activity will be abatement of lead and asbestos. The seismic upgrade to meet current code will be part of the general contract.

The recent schedule from Turner/Goodman projects our move to begin on Monday, March 17, 2008. We believe this is a very aggressive schedule. However, once we receive an occupancy permit from the City, we have 30 days to vacate 300 Third Ave. Thus, we will plan for 3/17/08 with contingencies for a possible later date. Move planning, Magnuson room schedules and storage assignments will begin this month. These will involve staff, Seattle Activities and all other building users.

Gene Yore, NFCC

Coordination of the building's seismic upgrade design and the structural elements needed to support the climbing facilities has taken a little longer than anticipated, in order to minimize redundant structural members and their associated costs. The climbing plaza's preliminary landscape plan is undergoing design "tweaks" to maximize the instructional capabilities of the proposed trail, inclined slabs and the boulder field.

Project construction plans are now projected to be completed about August 1 for review and approval by the NFCC.

Gene Yore, Co-Chair of the Magnuson Instructional Requirements Group, the committee that developed the program for the design of the climbing wall and plaza, been hired to represent The Mountaineers' interest in the day to day matters pertaining to project construction and administration. He will report to the Club's Executive Director.

Julian Sayers, NFCC

The design team and the NFCC are currently completing many of the building's details, including the library, bookstore and storage layouts, the design of the electrical, lighting, telephone, internet, utility and mechanical systems, and casework design.

Entre Prises USA has begun the design of the climbing walls in accordance with the concept developed by the Club's Magnuson Instructional Requirements Group, led by Gene Yore and Glenn Eades.

The outdoor wall will be a freeform facility, built in a twin spire configuration, joined by a bouldering-height middle section. Each spire will be unique and address different degrees of difficulty, though each will have full height chimneys, cracks and other features that will facilitate climbing without using the bolt-on holds. The wall, which will receive a custom paint scheme, will include a multitude of anchors and bolt-on hold locations for added variety and instructional flexibility.

The indoor wall will be a combination of freeform and imprinted panels, which will feature chimneys, cracks, pockets, slabs and ledges. It will also include many anchors and bolt-on holds.

Building plans are expected to be completed during the first week of July.

Julian Sayers, NFCC

The design of the climbing wall by Entre' Prises USA, is well underway and is projected to be finalized, together with the landscape plan, by mid June. The basic storage room and locker layout is being incorporated into the building plans in accordance with identified program needs. In the coming months, these facilities will need additional input from the various user groups regarding the need for shelving, racks and other elements in each assigned space.

Over the next several weeks, much of the design effort will be spent on building infrastructure such as utilities, heating and ventilation systems, lighting, security, structural engineering review, ADA stair and equipment lifts, and electrical, telephone and computer systems. Casework, library and bookshop shelving and interior finishes and materials will also be addressed during this period.

The permit package is projected to be filed with the City of Seattle during the first week of June to initiate the official review.

The first building walk-through, hosted by Past President Glenn Eades at the site, was held on Saturday, May 12. Monthly project status reports are included in the Seattle Branch Council meetings at the Seattle Clubhouse on the third Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. Look for additional presentation and comment opportunities on the Club's website when a complete building, climbing wall and landscape plan set is available.

Julian Sayers, NFCC

After a thorough evaluation of the Club's instructional needs and qualified vendors by the Instructional Requirements Group, Entre-Prises USA, Inc. of Bend, OR, has been selected to design and construct the new climbing facilities.

Best known locally for the climbing structures at REI and the University of Washington, the firm has 20 years experience and over 3500 structures, worldwide, in its resume.

Planning is underway for a series of meetings, including guided building tours, to review plans with Club members and to introduce the plans and programs to community groups. Plan illustrations and an event schedule will be prepared after the initial code, pre-application and historic reviews have been completed. When available, these materials will also be posted on the Club's website.

Julian Sayers, NFCC

The Mountaineers Board of Trustees has ratified the purchase and sale agreement to sell the club headquarters building and relocate to Magnuson Park.

The deal closed on March 2, according to Executive Director Steve Costie, but the architect, Clark Design Group, PLLC, had been working on the design of the new building months before the sale of the current building closed. Construction is expected to begin before the end of the year, according to Costie, and the club should be able to move into its new home some time next year.

Read the entire article here.

Kelli Norris, a highly regarded Goodman manager, has been designated Project Manager and The Mountaineers' New Facilities Construction Committee will continue in its role of overseeing the building renovation on behalf of the Club.

The Climbing Standards Committee, which recently drafted specifications for the desired instructional facilities, is nearing the completion of its evaluation of special contractors, one of which will be retained to design and construct the climbing plaza wall, as well as indoor facilities and additions to the north facade.

Clark Design Group PLLC, the project architect, is completing refinements to the preliminary building plans requested by the NFCC. When ready, these plans and samples of materials and finishes will be presented for review at meetings, to be scheduled, for the Club's user groups. Ms. Norris' work currently includes cost control and critical path task scheduling.

Julian Sayers, NFCC

Clark Design Group, PLLC, the project architect has offered to donate the effort needed to pursue a silver LEED (environmentally green) building status.

The building will present a rugged outdoor image, emphasizing the use of the concrete and heavy timber construction. The exterior is planned to include a broad array of climbing, scrambling, MOFA and other teaching facilities in a plaza adjacent to the south wall, as well as anchors on the north wall. Interior spaces will feature flexible assembly areas, some with movable sound-insulated partitions, that will accommodate 5 to 8 simultaneous events of 8 to over 500 people. An attractive entry lobby, member services-bookshop area, library, administrative offices and activity storage facilities are also included.

The project can now move on to address scheduling, the preparation of refined plan illustrations for presentation to club user groups, and detailed plans and specifications for permits and construction. As these and many other tasks are completed, key items, benchmark dates and status reports will be posted on the club's website. Building completion and move-in is projected for late spring, 2008, after the club's winter-early spring peak course period is completed.

Julian Sayers, NFCC

Letters of intent have been signed with both firms that direct the preparation of detailed contracts.

Clark and Rafn have exceptional project résumés that include many historic renovations and work for non-profit clients on limited budgets. Clark, led by principal Scott Clark and project architect Jason Land, has offered to donate extra services to assure that the facility will meet a "green building" standard, appropriate to the club's environmental conscience. Rafn, a respected Seattle general contractor for many years, will involve senior personnel with relevant experience to the project in management and supervisory roles, including Steve Stroming, Mike Harnden and Ann Schuessler. The renovation of the historic Cadillac Hotel in Pioneer Square, which now houses the National Park Service's Klondike Gold Rush Museum, is a recent Rafn project. The company is particularly capable in assisting architects in the design process and in the important areas of quality and cost controls.

Entre-Prises, a nationally acclaimed climbing wall builder, is the leading candidate for the climbing plaza. The club's climbing wall advisory team, led by Gene Yore and the project architect, will tour the firm's NW projects in October, prior to confirming this key project sub-contractor as a design-build team member.

Clark Design Group and The Mountaineers Books Division are currently evaluating office plan alternatives for the lower level of the Magnuson Park building. The NFCC (New Facilities Construction Committee) will soon begin the process, with the Seattle Parks Department, of expanding the scope of the lease agreement to include the additional space for the Books Division's offices.

Submitted by Julian Sayers, NFCC

The timing of the architect-general contractor team selection has been extended into September so that consideration of a potential Books Division phase can be incorporated as an option in the scope of work.

Current schedule projections indicate that occupancy of the new quarters can be expected about mid spring, 2008. With the objective of avoiding a move during the Club's peak late winter-early spring course period, occupancy after, rather than before, this busy period should eliminate the threat of overtime construction costs that could be required to rush building completion by late fall, 2007.

Submitted by Julian Sayers, NFCC

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A climbing wall and plaza design advisory committee has been established, under the leadership of Gene Yore and Glenn Eades, to assist the NFCC with this unique element at the new site. The committee, which is comprised of club members having special expertise in climbing, scrambling and MOFA instruction, has examined climbing facilities in various regions of the country in order to take advantage of the experience of others.

Meetings with Seattle city officials have been held to identify the scope and likely schedule of the required permitting process.

Submitted by Julian Sayers, NFCC

Steve Costie, the Executive Director of The Mountaineers and member of the NFCC, will serve as Project Manager. In this capacity, he will function as the liaison between the project design-build team and the various elements of the club, including the NFCC and the BoT, and oversee the day to day activities, as needed, with staff and NFCC assistance.

Project Timeline
Below, we've given you some rough milestones in the process of moving to Magnuson Park. As with anything, this timeline is subject to change, but it does provide a rough guide to the next year and a half.
Early July - Selection of design team
September '06 - Lease signing with Mayor of Seattle
Early Winter '06 - Final approval of architectural plans
February '07 - Groundbreaking
October '07 - Club moves in to renovated Building 67

Now that this has been decided, the New Facilities Construction Committee (NFCC) will begin the process of renovating Building 67. This means finding an architect, hiring the contractor to build/renovate, and guiding the effort to give the club the best facility for its needs.

Over the next year, we'll document the progess at Magnuson Park through this section, "On the Move." From start to finish, you'll read about the major developments, see the new building take shape and follow as we move into the new structure.