Teen Center Receives $100,000 Pledge From Sammamish Resident Mary Pigott

The new Teen Center in Sammamish has received a pledge of $100,000 from resident Mary Pigott to help operations over the coming years, the Boys & Girls Club of King County Redmond/Sammamish announced Monday.

"We've needed more opportunities for kids," Pigott, who has lived on the Plateau since the 1970s, said Monday. "I am thrilled we're getting a full-fledged Boys & Girls Club out here. I've been wanting this for 35 years."

The money for what is officially being called the Boys & Girls Club EX3 Teen Center will be given over four years in $25,000 increments. The pledge will help the youth organization meet its fundraising goal of $250,000 to support opening and running of the center, Jeremy Peck, resource development manager for the Boys & Girls Clubs, said.

Jane Ronngren, Redmond/Sammamish Boys & Girls Club executive director, thanked Pigott for her generous support, which came after an early August tour of the Teen Center.

"It is our hope that her gift will inspire others to be a part of this amazing opportunity for our teens and community," Ronngren said in a statement.

Renovation is underway to convert Sammamish’s old library at 825 228th Ave. NE into the Teen Center.

Remodeling of the 10,000-square-foot facility began July 18 and will include the addition of office space for center staff, a technology center, a performance stage, a snack bar with full teaching kitchen, study and gaming areas and more for local kids and teens.

"It's going to be a place that they can come after school and do their homework, hang out with their friends," Ronngren said.

Organizers hope the finished Teen Center will help add to and fill a bit of a void in Sammamish's recreational offerings. "There are 6,000 teens in the Sammamish area and there's no place for them," Peck said during a recent tour.

Boys & Girls Clubs officials are aiming to open the Teen Center in October. Over $1 million was secured for the renovation through individual, corporate and foundation gifts. So, completing the project is entirely dependent on the speed of construction.

"We're opening when we're built and done," Ronngren said. "The doors will open."

An additional $250,000 will be needed to cover operating costs for the first year. Peck said the plan is for the facility to open in the fall and for money-raising efforts to continue.

The Boys & Girls Clubs is hoping for as much community support as possible to reach the financial goals. "We currently do not receive any public or government funding, and we are confident that our community will come together to support this much-needed facility," Ronngren said in a statement.

Plans exist to add a 7,000-square-foot, high school-sized gym with a basketball court and climbing wall in the future. The Boys & Girls Clubs estimates the cost at between $3 million and $3.5 million. Donations are being accepted to help build the gym.

There's no timetable for adding the gym but Ronngren said the sooner the better. "We want it as soon as possible," she said.

The is a partner in the Teen Center project. The city bought the old library from the King County Library System, spokesman Tim Larson has said.

City staff are pursuing condemnation of a slice of property in front of the building on the Inglewood Hill Road portion for a second entrance to the parking lot, Jessi Richardson, city parks and recreation director, said earlier this month.

The City Council has approved the eminent domain. Richardson said that only having one entrance to the parking lot has been an issue in the past.

Ronngren and Pigott, whose family started the commercial vehicle company , said Monday that they believe the Teen Center will not duplicate what a community aquatic center could provide to the community, should one be built.

"We have decades of experience working with teens, and one of our main findings is that teens need a place to call their own," Ronngren said.

Added Pigott: "I think there is place for both a Teen Center and a community center in a city like Sammamish."

Many residents have said they support the idea of a community aquatic center. But it stirred controversy after consultants came up with .

The City Council is still considering its next steps regarding the project.

In addition to providing assistance for the Teen Center, Pigott has .

About 10 days ago, she took a tour of the Teen Center. Before she left, she said Monday, she gave the Boys & Girls Clubs a check for the first installment of her pledge.

Editor's note: The Boys & Girls Clubs of King County is offering public tours of the Teen Center, located at the intersection of 228th Avenue Northeast and Inglewood Hill Road. Tours will be held each Wednesday from 9 to 10 a.m. Long pants and closed-toe shoes are required.