LYNNWOOD—The new 40,000 square-foot Lynnwood Neighborhood Center, that will serve over 20,000 community members annually, from the most vulnerable needing support to at-risk children and youth, is now open to the public. Hundreds of community members attended the official grand opening on Saturday, January 24, two weeks after the facility’s ribbon-cutting ceremony on January 9.
“The weather cooperated with us and the community cooperated with us and came out in full force; I couldn’t be happier,” Meisha Wangerin, Site Director of the Lynnwood Neighborhood Center, told the Lynnwood Times who attended with her husband, sister, niece and nephew. “My niece and nephew think it’s my birthday today. They’re like, there’s a fire truck, there’s balloons, there’s cake, it must be a birthday party.”
Attendees enjoyed high-end chocolate, vanilla, and lemon cakes, fresh Pan Dulce from Los Gavilanes Mexican Store courtesy of Snohomish County PUD Commission Julieta Altamirano-Crosby, and food from several food trucks. Activities included indigenous traditional story telling with Pamela SeaMonster, LEGO building courtesy of SEALUG, quadball, Fire truck tours with South County Fire, a photobooth, coloring books, family-friendly games, double-dutch jump rope by Double Dutch Divas, and guilded building tours.
Keynote speakers on Saturday were Representative Rick Larsen, who secured $3 million for the Lynnwood Neighborhood Center in the Fiscal Year 2023, philanthropist and travel writer guru Rick Steves, who donated the land and funds valued over $4 million, and Volunteers of America Western Washington (VOAWW) President and CEO Brian Smith.
“Thank you so much for your patience, for your grace where we worked tirelessly to make this day happen,” Smith told attendees.
This is a gem in South Snohomish County,” Lynnwood Council Vice President Derica Escamilla told the Lynnwood Times. “If you ever find yourself in need of a service, I would recommend this as your first stop. We are really proud and exciting that a project that has taken this long is finally off the ground [running].”
Through various non-profit and organizational partnerships, the LNC will act as a one-stop shop for those seeking, or in need of, community resources.
Washington State Representative Lauren Davis told the Lynnwood Times the LNC will be the “Fred Meyer of social services,” or in other words – a one stop shop.
“Things are just so challenging for families that are experiencing all sorts of crises, crises of poverty, of domestic violence, food insecurity. But to be able to come to one location and address a multiplicity of needs is really outstanding,” said Rep. Lauren Davis.
Up the stairs from the piazza is where the offices of multiple community-driven nonprofits have set up shop, offering 600 individuals healthcare through Medical Teams International, 3,500 parents, infants, and young children with basic needs through Child Strive, 2,500 Korean Americans with wraparound support through the Korean Community Service Center, 1,500 Hispanic residents with workforce training and education via the Latino Educational Training Institute, 2,160 people with mental healthcare and therapy through Center for Human Services, 3,000 families with young people facing homelessness through Cocoon House, 225 children with afterschool programs through the Boys and Girls Club, and more.
Volunteers of America will also have offices on-site offering 10,000 low-income families wraparound support and 50 adults with intellectual disabilities. VOA will also be running the early learning center and senior services center.
In the community gathering place (or what Rick Steves calls ‘the Piazza’) a full-sized industrial community kitchen is fully equipped with everything needed to supply hearty and healthy meals, three times a day, to children enrolled in the early education programs. It’s here where a café will also be selling coffee and breakfasts for service providers, or parents dropping their children off at childcare, needing a pick-me-up.
The LNC’s has a massive community room which has the capacity to fit 500 people at a time, not including outdoor patio seating in warmer weather – separated by a large glass door. This space can be rented out for weddings, conferences, parties, or whatever the community desires. It’s in this community room where Friday’s ribbon cutting took place.
Mayor George Hurst told the Lynnwood Times that South County has always been a “desert” for these types of services but will now have a centralized hub where people can go. Hurst was a member of the Lynnwood City Council when it allocated $1 toward the LNC.
“I can’t be more pleased is going to be responsible for running this building, but I’m really looking forward to this place being a place of gathering. It’s really exciting, it really is,” said Mayor Hurst.
The building was designed, and constructed, with environmental stewardship in mind – certified Gold in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for utilizing solar energy for power (with solar panels installed on the roof – any surplus of which can be transferred back to the grid), an all-electric community kitchen, and even offering shore power in the parking lot to support an array of food trucks during community events.
Led by GLY Construction, Tyler Tonkin, Executive Vice President, told the Lynnwood Times the most exciting thing about working on the project thus far is knowing the tremendous benefit it will serve for the community.
“The systems are optimized to be highly efficient and clean within the building, the material choices within the building also helped in getting the LEED certification as well as the systems in place,” said Tonkin.
The building’s design, on the other hand, was handled by ARC Architects. Emily Wheeler, with the architecture firm, informed the Lynnwood Times the design was a collaborative process with the many nonprofits who will be setting up shop inside – from interviewing them on their various needs, to implementing it in form and practice.
“One of our primary goals was the make the space welcoming for everybody and I think we’re getting there,” said Wheeler.
Located at 6330 195th Street Southwest in Lynnwood, the Lynnwood Neighborhood Center will also serve as a vibrant hub where neighbors can meet, learn, and serve, building, and sustaining, safe, stable, and healthy communities for generations to come.
Lynnwood Neighborhood Center “Campaign Honor Roll”
Though the LNC is 97% funded, including $4.6 million from Snohomish County’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, as well as federal contributions, state contributions, and municipal contributions from Lynnwood, Edmonds, and Mountlake Terrace, there is still about $200,000 left to go for the LNC to open debt-free.
A Campaign Honor Roll recognizes all of those who helped fund the Lynnwood Neighborhood Center project.
Visionary — $4,000,000 and up
- Rick Steves
- Snohomish County
- The Taxpayers of Washington State
Founder — $1,000,000 to $3,999,999
- Federal Allocation
- Congressman Rick Larsen (via federal funding)
- City of Lynnwood
Innovator — $500,000 to $999,999
- MJ Murdock Charitable Trust
- The Norcliffe Foundation
- Premera Blue Cross
Benefactor — $250,000 to $499,999
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Hazel Miller Foundation
- City of Mountlake Terrace
- Sunderland Foundation
Champion — $100,000 to $249,999
- City of Edmonds
- City of Shoreline
Advocate — $50,000 to $99,999
- Gesner-Johnson Foundation
- Ruth Kagi
- D.V. & Ida McEachern Charitable Trust
- Philip & Sandra Schneider
- Mike & Nancy Schultz (in memory of Nancy Shultz)
Supporter — $25,000 to $49,999
- Diane Buckshnis
- Susan Campbell & Mike Gerke
- Tyler & Ashley Echelbarber
- Shawna Ramsey
- Diana & Steve White
Partner — $10,000 to $24,999
- Pete & Linda Haller
- Terry Pollard & Roxana Hamilton
- Aaron & Marie MacCoy
- Chris & Leslie McGinness
- Marjorie Murphy (in memory of Corinee Murphy)
- Olsen Charitable Lead Annuity Trust
- Suzanne & Bill Phillips
- Bob & Mary Jean McMahon
- Forrest & Neesha Reda (in collaboration with Coldwell Banker Bain)
- Rotary Club of Lynnwood (in partnership with Rotary District 5030 clubs)
- T-Mobile
- Tucker Family Foundation
- Wally & Martha Webster
Patron — $5,000 to $9,999
- Todd & Debbie Brunner
- Alison Danz
- Denny & Marti Derickson
- Carl Zapora & Cheryl Foster
- Humana Foundation
- Dr. Mia & Phillip Lee
- Kristi Myers & Jon Lovern
- John & Keiko Matsumoto Ng
- Bryan & Caryn O’Conner
- Christian & Sandra Olsen
- Len Paris
- Mim & Chuck Phillips
- William Schultheis
- Brian & Erin Smith
- Tatoosh Group Fund
Builder — $2,500 to $4,999
- Becks Tribute Center
- Charity USA.com
- Aimee Do & Steve Kennedy
- Dunn Lumber
- Joel Feldman
- Integrity Stonework
- William & Holly Kessler
- Jim & Leah Lorenz
- Jessica Moore
- Sarah Oh
- Pacific Crest Savings Bank
- Suzan Sturholm
- UMC
- Dr. Steve and Liz Woodard
Giver — $1,000 to $2,499
- Irene & John Austvold
- Debbie & Trond Bodal
- Ben Cain (In Memory of Barbara June Cain & Colton Taylor Cumpston)
- Samuel Chang
- Campbell Volkswagen & Nissan
- Community Christian Fellowship
- Heather Damron
- Edmonds Unitarian Universalist Congregation
- Olga Fedorovski
- First Mark Insurance Group
- Christine Frizzell
- The Henrichsen Family
- Amanda Garcia
- Nancy Gladrow
- Jaimie Han
- Cathy Im
- Julie Kang
- Lina Kim
- Mike & Dusty Koenig
- Dominic Kramer
- Cheryl Lee
- Robert Leutwyler
- Lynnwood Kiwanis Foundation
- Liz Marks
- John Niemi
- Junghyun Park
- Tyler & Jenni Vander Ploeg
- Barbara Purn
- Christine Ryu
- Mikel Samaniego
- Seaview GMC
- Stephen Schroeder & Cheryl Beighle
- Susan Shin
- Jean Thorsen
- Rosemary Wander
- Windermere Foundation, Alderwood
- Mindy Woods
- Zipper Geo Associates
Author: Mario Lotmore
