SULTAN — The Sultan Boys &Girls Club is staying just where it is.
The club’s proposed new 18,000-square-foot building will be at the Volunteers of America’s Sky Valley Family and Community Resource Center, 617 First St.
Last week, the City Council accepted a committee’s proposal to keep the club where it is instead of relocating it.
“It’s a good fit,” said Bill Tsoukalas, executive director for the Snohomish County Boys &Girls Club.
The Sultan Boys &Girls Club relocated to Volunteers of America property when its original building down the street burned down on Christmas Eve. The former site wasn’t an option because it was too small for a new club building.
The Volunteers of America site is in a visible and accessible location for children. Construction costs also are expected to be cheaper than other options because the site is outside the floodplain and additional property doesn’t need to be bought, Tsoukalas said.
The next step is to define which organization — the city, Volunteers of America, or the Boys &Girls Club — will own the property, he said.
“Everybody wants this to work. It’s just a matter of working out the details,” Tsoukalas said.
The idea is for the city to own the property and have Boys &Girls Club lease it, as was the case at the earlier club, Mayor Carolyn Eslick said.
The challenge now is getting all three organizations to agree.
“Not only the leaders need to reach to an agreement, because they need to go to the policymakers and get them to agree as well,” Eslick said.
She also supports the new site because it is convenient for all residents. It’s next door to services provided by Volunteers of America and the food bank, she said.
The proposed one-floor building would cost about $2 million in construction, materials and equipment, Tsoukalas said. Sultan’s proposed new club would be similar to the clubs in Monroe and Snohomish by having a gym for basketball and volleyball.
Construction is scheduled to start in early 2012, Tsoukalas said.
The Volunteers of America’s site was one of three proposed sites the council had to choose from. The other two sites were a piece of private property at First Street and another between Sixth and Eighth streets.
Alejandro Dominguez: 425-339-3422; adominguez@heraldnet.com.
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