New South Lake Union building doesn’t involve Amazon

There’s a new addition to South Lake Union that has nothing to do with Amazon.

Anyone driving along Valley Street, which runs parallel to Mercer, has likely noticed the giant steel-frame behind an industrial-sized fence. The future site of of the Wagner Education Center is tough to miss.

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The education center will be a much-needed expansion to The Center for Wooden Boats. Located in Lake Union Park, the building will be two stories and feature a boat shop and expanded classroom space.

The $6.9-million project became necessary due to rapid growth in demand for programs in the area, and the loss of 10,000 square feet of classroom and office space in the Naval Reserve and outdoor buildings in the park. The center currently faces daily trade offs between programs because of the lack of space.

Crews broke ground on the project in January. Construction on the 9,000-square-foot building is expected to be complete in October.

The Center for Wooden Boats serves more than 100,000 people a year with programs for youth, job skills training, maritime workshops, sailing lessons, boat rentals and community events.

For those worried about the future of the well-known floating boathouse, no need to. The boathouse will continue to offer programs and exhibits.

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