By Bob McChesney, Executive Director, the Port of Edmonds

Lately it seems that many of the questions we are asked here at the Port have something to do with the very visible construction going on in our front yard.

I am talking about the new Edmonds Yacht Club clubhouse, being built just south of Arnies restaurant. And that answers the number one question: What is being built?

Before I go on, you need to know that, while the Port owns the land, the building itself is privately owned, in this case, by the Yacht Club. So, to get the best answers, we talked to one of the people in charge, past Yacht Club commodore, Dick Potter.

When will it be done? The Club has said all along that their goal is to have it complete in time for their New Years Eve party.

Is the project on schedule? According to Potter, Pretty much. He noted that there was a brief delay when some water mains were unexpectedly discovered someplace other than where they were expected. Aside from that, he says all remains on track for their planned opening.

Why does the Yacht Club want a new facility? In a word, space. Their new clubhouse will seat up to a hundred more people than the existing one. Since the club gets a good part of its operating revenue from banquet and meeting rentals, more space means more income. Perhaps even more important, Potter noted, the club will now have enough space to expand their membership.

The building will be the first new building on the waterfront in 25 years. It has been designed by an Edmonds architect to reflect a strongly maritime look. Everyone who has seen the computer renderings seems to feel that it will be a very attractive addition to the waterfront.

The new building will be available to the public for functions of up to 200 or more people. It is expected to be a popular site for meetings, banquets, wedding receptions and the like. It will have a full commercial kitchen to meet the needs of even the most particular caterer.

How about parking? The Port has been working with the Yacht Club from the outset to insure that any parking impact will be minimal. There will be a newly improved parking lot across Admiral Way from the new building and, of course, there will still be on-street parking available. The parking designated for Arnies restaurant will not be impacted.

I hope this answers some of the questions you may have had. We congratulate the Club for their perseverance and tenacity in making this major project happen. It will, in the long run, benefit the Club, the Port and the entire community.