Lambert House Renovations & Move
CURRENT STATUS
The foundation’s 1901 brick walls and concrete slab were demolished and removed. Dirt was removed; the floor was lowered; deeper foundation trenches were excavated; footing drains have been installed; sub-floor drainage and radiant heat lines were installed before a new floor slab is poured; the sewer pipe to the street was lowered; new foundation walls have been poured. New basement windows have been installed in the basement; the steep, narrow basement stairs were replaced; ceiling height was increased; an ADA bathroom was be added; and 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, dedicated clothing bank, reading nook, and lounge. Our kitchen has been taken down to the studs, plumbing and electrical will be upgraded, bathrooms will be moved and renovated (including one meeting ADA guidelines), the dining room has been expanded to add more seating, and new storage will be installed. We anticipate the project will finish in the Spring of 2026.
TIMELINE
March 2016: Lambert House’s former landlords informed the organization of their intent to sell the property in 60 days to a developer. Lambert House negotiates an extension to the end of 2016 with a 37% increase in rent.
March-November 2016: Lambert House staff, and volunteers including Real Estate agents from multiple brokerages and others, look for space for Lambert House to lease for it’s drop-in center and staff offices. They look for space that is comfortable for youth, on well let arterials with multiple transit lines, centrally located to serve youth that travel from all directions for support, and that has enough space to support 40+ existing programs and staff office space. Even without factoring in price, there is nothing on the market that meets these needs. The prospect of finding any space is bleak.
Fall 2016: A long-time donor and volunteer offers Lambert House a 0% interest loan to purchase the property and prevent a crisis for the organization. The Board accepts the loan, and the purchase is finalized in the final days of 2016. Lambert House becomes the 5th independent, standalone LGBTQ+ Youth Center to own its facility in the country.
2017: The City of Seattle dedicates $100,000 in funding towards the purchase of the Lambert House headquarters facility.
2018-2021: Wizards of the Coast employees conduct fundraising during Pride over four years and raise $200,000 to support the purchase of the Lambert House headquarters facility.
2019: The State of Washington dedicates $500,000 in funding towards the purchase of the Lambert House headquarters facility.
2020: The City of Seattle dedicates $500,000 in funding towards the purchase of the Lambert House headquarters facility.
2017-2024: Donors close the gap and Lambert House retires its $2 million dollar mortgage in January 2024. Paying off a $2 million mortgage in 7 years was a big achievement. If you are one of the donors who contributed to this first phase of our capital campaign, thank you!
2024: The State of Washington dedicates $1,030,000 in funding for flood abatement, basement replacement, and seismic upgrades of the Lambert House headquarters facility.
July 2024: Lambert House moves its drop-in center and staff offices to leased space on the Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral campus: 1229 10th Ave E, Seattle, WA 98102 (Leffler House and Carriage House).
August 2024: Construction at the 15th Avenue headquarters facility begins. Side x Side Architects and Metis Construction serve as the Architects and General Contractor respectively.
November 2024: King County dedicates $1,500,000 in funding towards renovations allowing the the project to expand. The project now includes gut renovating the kitchen and dining room, which are used 5 days per week to cook and provide thousands of means for LGBTQ+ youth annually, replace the three existing bathrooms including making one of them ADA compliant, and adding an ADA lift and path from the parking lot to the front porch. The new lift will serve ground level, the main floor, and new basement improving the accessibility of the drop-in center. A new bathroom in the new basement was also planned to be ADA compliant.
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 DID WE MOVE 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:
METRO Bus Route #49 stops right in front, connecting to Link Light Rail and other METRO busses at the Capitol Hill Station
Walk 19 minutes to/from the Capitol Hill Light Rail Station
Drive 6 minutes from our 15th Avenue location
PARKING
Ample free street parking near 1229 - 10th Ave. East is available on:
10th Avenue East
East Galer Street
East Highland Drive
Federal Avenue East
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.