FAQs
Status
- July, 2018
- 501c3 Non-Profit was formed. - December, 2019
- Non-Profit Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation were completed. - August, 2020
- Property adjacent to The Looked at 103 Bighorn Way, Chelan, was purchased and boundary line adjustments were issued.
- Conditional use permit was issued.
- Determination of Non-Significance and SEPA issued.
- Grading permit issued. - October, 2020:
- Broke ground and began earthwork and infrastructure into 2021. - 2021:
- Grading, leveling, and infrastructure took place. - January, 2022:
- Building permit was issued and main facility construction began. - 2019 - 2022:
- Covid pandemic, economic inflation, supply chain delays, and increase community need all happening simultaneously.
- Size of facility and expense requirement increased, while project and fundraising continued. - June, 2022:
- Once all infrastructure was installed and foundations were poured, we began erecting the steel structure with over 50% of the steel frame building complete. - Spring, 2024
- Phase I completed
Phase I is completed. We are working hard to secure the funding necessary for Phase II so construction can begin
Phase I has been fully funded. We are securing $5 million for Phase II.
Ownership
Seven Acres Foundation is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that serves as the operational and financial force behind the vital Lake Chelan Community Center development.
Seven Acres Foundation facilitates the construction, maintenance, and operations of the Lake Chelan Community Center.
Currently, all grants and donations go to the Seven Acres Foundation as the legal entity funding and constructing the Lake Chelan Community Center. The Foundation consists of a 100% volunteer board and two paid staff members.
Facility
The Lake Chelan Community Center’s amenities include:
- A 10,000 sq. ft. auditorium to facilitate a space for various sports, play areas, and events including:
- A full-size basketball court (two practice basketball courts or three volleyball courts, four pickleball courts, or a community meeting space)
- A 1200 sq. ft. events stage (capacity for up to 630 people)
- A community meeting space
- A mezzanine viewing area above the auditorium
- Family restrooms
- Second floor with leasable space
- Sponsored by Scott and Brooke Isaak - Outdoor courts, spaces, and lawn including areas for:
- Sand volleyball courts
- Outdoor pickleball courts
- Leasable event space - outside of commercial kitchen and event room - An aquatic center including:
- An eight-lane, 25-yard competition swimming pool
- Splash pad, therapy pool, bathhouse, pool enclosure
- Family restrooms - An indoor children’s play area
- A 900 sq. ft. room, allowing children (7 and under) to have a safe and comfortable place to play year-round
- Named “John & Helen Horan Playground”
- Sponsored by Tom and Meg Names Family Foundation - A workspace center
- Rentable stations with desks, monitors, and internet
- Access to a conference room - Leasable private office spaces
- 5 multi-purpose rooms
- Sponsored by Lakeview Drive-in and The Coleman Family - Commercial kitchen
- Sponsored by Dave and Denise Nichols and will be known as “Neese’s Kitchen - Event Room (adjacent to commercial kitchen)
- Equipped with audio visual equipment - Coffee shop
- Operated by our tenant - The Vine Coffee - Ryan and Holly Moody
Contribute to making this project a reality for our community.
The indoor children’s play area will be in a 900 sq. ft. room, allowing children (7 and under) to have a safe and comfortable place to play year-round.
It allows parents to enjoy a cup of coffee or tea as they keep an eye on their little ones.
The “John and Helen Horan Playground” is sponsored by the Tom and Meg Names Family Foundation.
Access
The Community Center is for everyone!
All members of the Lake Chelan community and residents of surrounding towns are welcome and invited to use The Community Center.
For families and children facing economic hardship, The Community Center is developing programs, partnerships, and scholarships that will make it possible for everyone to enjoy the facilities.
Finances will not be a barrier to anyone who would like to utilize the Lake Chelan Community Center.
We are developing partnerships and programs that enhance the lives of youth with fewer opportunities than their more affluent peers in our community. The Community Center is a venue and affordable space for partners and service organizations that work to help the disadvantaged throughout the valley and region in many ways.
As a central location for services, The Community Center will help children receive multiple support services in one location. Check out our partners to discover the great organizations that will help our youth.
For families and children facing economic hardship, The Community Center is developing programs, partnerships, and scholarships that will make it possible to enjoy the facilities regardless of income.
Finances will not be a barrier to using The Community Center.
Yes, The Community Center will encourage Hispanic/Latino participation and leadership, including:
- Facilitating English as a Second Language (ESL) classes
- Providing onsite access to an interpreter for the facility
- Cultivating unique partnerships
Additionally, the Lake Chelan Chamber of Commerce has partnered with us in a direct effort to enhance the bi-lingual platform, education, and engagement of our community.
Yes, the auditorium rental will be available to schools, clubs, and the community. With the limited space in the valley, schools, clubs, and AAU teams will be able to practice and play in the new regulation-sized indoor court inside the auditorium.
We’d love to see the Lake Chelan Community Center host some of the largest tournaments in the region.
Yes! The auditorium is large enough to host a wide variety of events.
It has a capacity of 500-700 as a tabled event. It will also include:
- Full A/V set up for sound and a projector/screen
- A commercial kitchen onsite
- A variety of multi-purpose rooms that could be used for set-up, such as a bridal room.
The 1,800 sq. ft. event room will also be available to host special events with a capacity of 68-146 people, depending on the event type. This room includes direct access to the commercial kitchen and event lawn.
Fundraising
The Lake Chelan Community Center will be a safe and accessible space bringing people together to build relationships, promote wellness, and serve our community. While a facility of this type has been needed for many years, nothing like it currently exists in our area.
Our values align very well with the residents who strive to enhance the quality of life of our community:
Our four key values, affectionately known as the CORE, stands for:
COMPASSION, OPPORTUNITY, RELATIONSHIPS, &EMPOWERMENT.
COMPASSION
A community center built with everyone in mind.
The facility will be accessible to all — including families and children facing financial challenges, and those living in surrounding communities.
OPPORTUNITY
A community center celebrating giving, volunteerism, and service.
The Community Center will provide people an avenue to contribute to something larger than themselves, facilitating a sense of belonging, unity, and pride in our community.
RELATIONSHIPS
A community center designed to be a gathering place and inspire collaboration and connection.
People from all walks of life can connect to form personal and professional relationships and help each other find success in their personal and professional goals.
EMPOWERMENT
A community center equipping people to grow strong in body, mind, and spirit.
From the state-of-the-art sports facility to a central hub for numerous impactful service organizations, The Community Center will foster health and wellness in many ways.
The Lake Chelan Community Center is synonymous with these CORE values, making it possible to champion and refer to The Community Center as “The Core.” We look forward to when our community can proudly say:
“Meet me at The Core!”
Make an impact by becoming a CORE contributor.
The easiest way to donate is using our safe and secure online fundraising site. You can choose any amount to donate and have the option to give one time or on a recurring basis.
If you’d like to speak to someone about making a contribution or grant as a local patron, foundation, or corporation to bring this impactful project to fruition, please contact Teri Moore (email: teri@chelancommunity.org, phone: (253) 232-4514)
Yes! We’d love the opportunity to honor your donation through a naming opportunity. Please contact Teri Moore(teri@chelancommunity.org) to discuss this further, or visit the fundraising page for more details. Opportunities include the Legacy Pavers, where you can inscribe a name or message onto the pavers used to acknowledge contributors and guide visitors as they enter the facility.
Yes, we are in the process of applying for a variety of public and private foundations for the capital campaign.
To date, we have been awarded grants from:
- State of Washington Department of Commerce Request
- Names Family Foundation
- Murdock Charitable Trust
- Oscar G and Elsa S. Mayer Family Foundation
- Department of Commerce, Building Communities Fund
- Tom and Meg Names Family Foundation
- GiveBig Washington
- Lake Chelan Rotary Club
- Cashmere Valley Bank
- Phyllis and Walter Malzahn Charitable Trust
- Senate Appropriations FY22
- Arc'teryx
- Confluence Health and Wenatchee Valley Medical Group Community Partnership Fund
- Chelan County - American Rescue Plan Act Grant
Do you know a foundation or grant that can help complete The Community Center? Please contact Teri Moore(teri@chelancommunity.org) to share your helpful insight.
We fully expect the funds to be raised!
Our contingency plan is to extend the timeline until the amount needed is raised.
We also expect to utilize construction loans based on the pledged funding. Still, for obvious reasons, we intend to keep the debt service in The Community Center as minimal as possible. We manage our pro-forma to a net zero as a nonprofit seeking betterment for our community.
We’ve had several successful fundraising events since 2020, and these efforts will continue.
For example, the Foundation partnered with KOZI radio for a “Raise the Roof” campaign, and on-site Hard Hat Tours are in the planning stages for spring and summer of 2023.
After the first three phases are completed, The Community Center will continue to hold fundraisers to raise money for scholarships and/or the needs of other nonprofit organizations.
Sustainable Business Model
We’ve developed a detailed pro forma budget outlining our first five years and how we'll balance our earned revenue through facility rentals and program fees to offset our expenses.
If you’d like to know more about our business model, please contact Teri Moore(teri@chelancommunity.org).
The Operations Committee is currently meeting to establish the policies and procedures of the Lake Chelan Community Center.
Yes, our ongoing business model is sustainable, with earned revenue from the facility rentals and program fees.
If you want to learn more about our business model, please contact Teri Moore(teri@chelancommunity.org).
Yes, we would be grateful to receive ongoing support to help cover in addition to rental fees for maintenance and operating costs.
The financial model for the swimming pool balances earned revenue from passes, private rentals, classes, and swim teams to cover the full operating expense.
We also have maintenance support from a local donor to offset expenses.
The community pool is so vital to the Lake Chelan Valley that we are prepared to mitigate additional expenses through fundraising.
Through extensive polling and research, we have identified the lack of a pool as the one of the greatest shortcomings in our lakeside community. Because we believe this project is so vital to the community, we will go to great lengths to ensure this critical resource becomes a reality.