June 25, 2007
Lost -- now Found: new offices
As we announced in June via our monthly e-newsletter, we were recently unexpectedly notified that we had lost our lease for our Bellevue office. The good news is that we’ve found two replacement offices to lease to meet most of our needs -- and we’ll be looking to move beginning Friday, July 20 through that weekend of July 21 & 22. If you’d like to help with the move, or would like to help on a pre-move work party for either location, please give our office a call: 425.462.0978
Magnuson Park in Seattle for Program staff: With special thanks to Seattle Parks and Recreation, our Program staff will be moving into “The Brig” at Magnuson Park. This building location (literally the former Sand Point Naval Station Brig) is located at the center of Magnuson Park and has direct access to cycling paths, hiking paths, Lake Washington along the edge of the park, and the Burke Gilman Trail just across the street from the park. This is an extraordinary location and opportunity for us. These offices in “The Brig” will require some repainting and some other work – and we will need to make these improvements ourselves. We’re putting together a task list and we’ll be looking for volunteers for a couple of work parties for later in July. If you think you may be able to help, please contact our office.
Queen Anne Neighborhood next to SPU for Admin, Fundraising & Outreach staff: With special thanks to Columbia West Properties, we’ll be moving our other staff into the 2 Nickerson Street building next to Seattle Pacific University. This office is right on a bike path and along the Fremont Ship Canal with lots of possibilities for pedaling and paddling. This office may require some limited telephone and computer wiring work before we move in and in the coming weeks or months some HVAC work.
Thank you to everyone who gave us suggestions, counsel and support as we dealt with this situation of finding a new office(s). It’s been an unexpected challenge during one of our busiest times of the year -- but these new locations bring great promise for new adaptive recreation programs and partnerships for children and adults with disabilities.
Ed Bronsdon
Executive Director
June 1, 2007
We’re losing our lease
For the past 14 years, the Outdoors for All administrative headquarters for all of our adaptive recreation programs for children and adults with disabilities has been in the Bellefield Office Park in Bellevue. During that time, we have worked very hard with a succession of different landlords to maintain our office lease at a substantially discounted rate. In April of this year, however, the office park was sold and our new landlord recently notified us that they will not be able to continue our lease at the discounted rate.
For our current 2,500 sq ft of space, we cannot afford the new market lease rate which would be a ten-fold increase over our current lease rate. Compounding the situation is that our lease is up as of June 30, 2007. We will be able to stay in our current location for one additional month, but we have learned that as of July 31, we will need to vacate the premises.
So, we need to find a new office(s) – and fast – and a location or locations that will last.
We think that there are two ways that we can approach this.
Option A: 4,000 sf of office/warehouse space in one location
Combining Administrative, Fundraising and Program Offices with Program Operations
We’re currently considering the following areas: Seattle, Redmond, Issaquah, Bellevue, and Kenmore.
- Need: 2,500 sq ft of wheelchair accessible office space to house our Administrative, Fundraising and Program staff. We need a similar amount of office space -- but we'll be flexible.
- Want: 1,500 – 2,000 sq ft of warehouse space next to or near the office space from which we can run some programs as well as store adaptive cycles and other gear
- Need: Parking for staff and customers. Parking for Program vehicles including six vehicles and three trailers (one 10’ trailer and two 20' trailers)
- Want: Bike path or park nearby.
- Wish for in a perfect world: Lake or water way or woods nearby.
Option B: 1,500 sf of office space in one location, and another 2,000 to 3,000 sf of office/warehouse space in another location
Separating Administrative & Fundraising Offices from Program Offices & Operations
We’re currently considering the following areas: Seattle, Redmond, Issaquah, Bellevue, and Kenmore.
- Need: 1,500 sq ft of wheelchair accessible office space for Administrative and Fundraising staff. Parking for staff and customers.
- Need: 2,000 – 3,000 sq ft of mixed Program office and Program warehouse space from which we can run some programs as well as store adaptive cycles and other gear. Parking for Program vehicles including six vehicles and three trailers (one 10’ trailer and two 20' trailers)
- Want: Bike path or park nearby for Program offices.
- Wish for in a perfect world: Lake or water way or woods nearby for Program offices.
How you may be able to help:
We’ve established a Task Force to help us address this urgent situation and find a solution to the matter. Would you or someone you know be a resource to us in assessing our options? If so, please contact Will Niccolls, Development Director or Ed Bronsdon, Executive Director, Outdoors for All Foundation; office 425-462-0978.
