Community Center Expansion Frequently Asked Questions

The Snoqualmie Community Center building and property are owned by the City of Snoqualmie. Through a collaborative long-term agreement, the YMCA of Greater Seattle maintains and operates the facility, providing health and wellness programming to residents on behalf of the City.  

What does the Community Center Expansion Project include?

The proposed expansion would add approximately 24,000 sq. ft. to the existing 13,000 sq. ft. facility, including a recreation pool, and a 6-lane lap pool that can accommodate local competitions; additional multipurpose space for meetings, classes, and other programming; more fitness space; locker rooms; office space.

Why is the expansion needed?

Due to 30% population growth in Snoqualmie and high membership saturation rates at the Snoqualmie Community Center/YMCA (Y) over the past decade, the current facility is insufficient to meet demand for before and after school programs, health and wellness programs, meeting space, and fitness space. Additionally, the upper Snoqualmie Valley significantly lacks aquatics space for swimming and water safety education – with only one 86-year-old pool to serve an area that has experienced significant population growth over the past two decades. This has led to extensive swim lesson wait lists in a region filled with rivers, and lakes and where approximately one-third of Snoqualmie’s population is age 18 and younger. These wait lists are more extensive for Snoqualmie residents due to a recent policy change by Si View Metro Parks District that now prioritizes swim lessons for those who reside within its district boundaries, which does not include the City of Snoqualmie. 

Would the Y continue to run the expanded facility?

Yes. The City and the YMCA of Greater Seattle will negotiate a new operational agreement for the expanded facility with an aquatics center. 

What will the expansion project cost?

The Community Center Expansion Phase 1 project cost, which includes the construction of a 6-lane lap pool, recreation pool, locker rooms, community room and new lobby, is approximately $30.2 million (July 2024 estimate). Phase 2 would add two studio dry space rooms at a later date. 

How will the expansion be funded?

The City currently has most project funding secured. Additionally, the project was recently approved for a $1.2 million allocation from the Washington State Youth Recreation Facilities Grant in the 2025-27 funding cycle; the YMCA of Greater Seattle has pledged $1.3 million through fundraising; and the City received a $1 million King County Parks Levy grant for the project. The City is actively seeking grants and partnerships to close the $5 million project funding gap, including applying for King County Parks levy grants and requesting project funding from our Washington State legislators through state budget appropriations in 2025. Given the significant need for aquatics space to meet water education and safety needs, as well as non-aquatics space for senior and youth programs, we are optimistic about grant funding and partnerships for this important project.

Can the City put the appropriated Community Center expansion funding toward other things, like the operating budget or other City projects?

The designated community center expansion funding consists of Real Estate Excise Taxes (REET) and one-time taxes (e.g., construction sales tax).  Washington State law requires REET funds to be spent on capital investments and therefore cannot be used to fund ongoing expenditures such as police, fire, community development, and administrative staffing costs. Additionally, City financial policy directs spending one-time taxes on one-time capital investments, not ongoing expenditures. The funds could be spent on other capital investments but have been planned for the community center project based on City Council priorities, the approval of a Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), and community feedback.

If the community center expansion funding is used to build the new facility, will it impact the City’s reserve funds?

No. As required by law, the City’s reserve funds are designed to protect the City from an economic downturn or an unexpected emergency. It is the City’s intent to provide a stable financial environment for which residents can depend on a consistent and quality level of service. Your elected representatives are very clear that funding of the Community Center will under no circumstance use the reserve funds. 

Will the City ask voters to approve a property tax increase to fund the project?

The City’s plan is to expand the community center without a voter-approved capital bond that would increase property taxes. The City attempted bond initiatives to construct a large community center with a 3-lane pool (the last one 16 years ago), and although a majority of voters approved, it was not the state-required super majority level of 60%. Listening to voters, the City built the existing small community center in 2012, with plans to expand in the future and utilized an agreement with the Y to operate the facility on its behalf. This model has proven highly successful since the facility’s opening, with the Snoqualmie Community Center/YMCA having one of the highest membership saturation rates in the county, with approximately 40% of residents holding Y memberships. In fact, the City of Sammamish modeled its successful operational agreement with the Y to run its community center and aquatics center after the Snoqualmie/YMCA agreement. 

When could the expanded community center be ready?

The latest estimate, as of February 2025, is spring 2027. In February 2023, the state approved a design-build option for this project, which saves time and money compared to the typical bid process. In April 2023, through an open Requests for Quotes (RFQ) process, the City and a Y representative selected a builder. That builder selected a designer. In August 2023, the City Council approved a design contract for the project. Design work was completed in spring 2024. In summer 2024, the project was included in the approved 2025-30 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). In July 2024, the City Council adopted Resolution 1693: Community Center Phase 1 with Natatorium, which notes project construction will move forward once a set of options and funding is secured. The approved CIP has the project scheduled to begin construction in 2025 once funding is secured.

Will the facility remain open during construction?

Yes. The expansion design and construction plans will accommodate keeping the current facility open to the public while the building is expanded. 

What about parking?

The project incorporates existing parking in the large City-owned parking lot that serves the facility and the Snoqualmie Community Park. The existing spots meet building code for the facility.  

What about additional traffic in an area with a school and park?

Historically, busier times for the Community Center are during non-school hours and busier times for the park are on weekends and summer when school is out, and traffic is lighter. 

Is the Community Center/YMCA open to the public or can only members use it?

All residents, whether they are members or non-members, can use the facility and access programs. It is currently open to the public and will continue to be when expanded. As a nonprofit, the Y’s inclusive mission ensures that no community member is turned away from programs and services regardless of their ability to pay. The City and Y’s operational agreement ensures the facility is open to the community. The Snoqualmie Indian Tribe contributes annual funding for scholarships and reduced-cost programs to support the inclusive, community-driven mission of the Community Center/YMCA. Additionally, there are free daily drop-in hours for teens; available daily passes; as well as many other free community events and activities. All Y programs are open to members and non-members, but in some cases, there are different fees. For more details, please visit www.snoqualmiewa.gov/638/Community-CenterYMCA

Why doesn’t the City just run the Community Center?

The operations agreement between the City and the YMCA of Greater Seattle benefits the City and its residents by harnessing the Y’s nationally recognized expertise in community center and aquatic facility operations while reducing financial risk to the City’s general fund. The financial responsibility for daily operations and building maintenance of the Snoqualmie Community Center/YMCA is that of the YMCA of Greater Seattle. In fact, the YMCA of Greater Seattle has subsidized $1.3 million of operating costs of the Snoqualmie Community Center/Y over the past 5 years. 

Property taxes and the City’s general fund are not required to subsidize the facility’s maintenance and operations (M&O). An additional benefit of this operational model is only facility users contribute funding for M&O through program fees, monthly membership fees and daily drop-in passes. Examples of community center property tax operational models are Issaquah and Si View Metro Parks Community Centers which are funded by both property taxes and program and usage fees, and in the case of Issaquah general funds, which means residents pay to operate the facilities, regardless of whether they use the facility. 

When expanded, what will memberships costs be? Will there still be free drop-in hours and resident discounts?  

Membership costs are the same for all YMCA of Greater Seattle locations, allowing members to use any of the Y of Greater Seattle facilities. When expanded, monthly memberships are estimated to range from $57 to $154 per month depending on the type of membership. There are military and senior discounts available. In fact, Silver Sneakers and other insurance programs pay the fees for seniors, which 99% of our seniors use one of these programs. Please see the YMCA of Greater Seattle to compare monthly membership prices. With the expansion, the City and YMCA will renegotiate the operating agreement. It is the City’s intention to preserve free drop-in hours for youth, retain the city resident membership discount, and have a weekly free open community swim for Snoqualmie residents.  

Where on the property will the pool be located?

The design has the pool located in the expansion area on the west end of the current facility where the tennis courts are located. There will be a 6-lane competition-sized pool as well as a recreation pool.

Will the tennis courts be relocated?

The City is currently working on planning and design to relocate two tennis courts and possibly add pickleball-only courts. Options are being examined as part of the City's new Parks, Recreation, Open Space, and Trails (PROST) Master Plan. 

Is there an option to partner with Si View on a large regional aquatic facility?

Si View’s proposed regional option was considered and declined by the Snoqualmie City Council due to the expensive construction costs of nearly $50 million (2019 cost estimate) which is contingent on potentially two voter-approved capital bonds from a taxing district to which the City does not belong. Given that supermajority capital bonds are exceedingly difficult to pass, the requested $15 million capital contribution from the City of Snoqualmie would come with no guarantee the facility would be built. Additionally, if it were built, it would require another voter-approved maintenance and operations property tax levy for Si View Metro Parks District to maintain the regional sized pool. Larger competition pools with diving tanks require significantly higher ongoing maintenance, operation costs, and liability compared to traditional 6-lane competition sized pools. 

Expanding the Snoqualmie community center facility with both aquatics and non-aquatics programming space will meet the needs of residents now and well into the future and is also responsive to survey data that showed residents overwhelmingly prefer a central Snoqualmie pool location for maximum accessibility for youth, adults, and seniors. These factors are what led to City Council Resolution 1520 that declined Si View’s regional facility proposal in 2019. 

Would the potential expansion compete with the pool Si View is proposing?

No. The aquatics facilities being proposed by Snoqualmie and Si View are complementary. Si View phase 1 proposed a facility with a multi-purpose pool containing 3 to 4 lap lanes and recreational aquatics space, but Si View's capital bond ballot initiative to fund it was not approved by voters. The City is proposing a 6-lane competition sized pool and a separate recreation pool, that could host swim lessons, water safety education, local competitions, and recreational swimming.

Can the Mount Si High School swim team compete using the aquatics center at the expanded community center?

The City proposed a partnership with the Snoqualmie Valley School District early in the design process. That partnership and proposed $2-$3 million capital investment would have allowed the new aquatics facility to also function as a home pool for SVSD competitive swim teams, including training and swim meets. However, in November 2023, the SVSD School Board voted against a capital investment for aquatics. The current design includes a 6-lane competition sized pool. However, there have been no further discussions with SVSD regarding lane or pool rental options. The design does not include a diving tank as diving tanks are extremely expensive to construct and maintain, as well as significant liability issues.