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The Ballard Boys & Girls club is undergoing its third remodel in 25 years and invited BNT to come take a look.

“This past summer we had 50 kids on the waiting list,” said Mark Hendricks, Executive Director. “The remodel will almost double the space we have now.”

The $2.1 million remodel adds an additional 5,000 square feet of classroom space. The parking lot is also being renewed, which will have an entrance on 63rd street instead of 64th street.

“We’re not necessarily looking to increase but to give the kids more elbow room,” Hendrick said, adding that 130 to 145 kids make use of the club’s rooms on a daily basis.

“We try to maximize every inch of space on this property,” he said pointing out that the gym doubles as a breakfast space in the morning, a playground during the day now that construction is moving the playground, and a training ground for the many basketball teams and leagues in the evening.

The club has not closed any of its programs and is making the best out of the construction period.

“The middle school students are painting murals on one of the temporary walls on a weekly basis and we have a great pre-school that has to put up with the majority of the noise,” Henricks said adding that the pre-schoolers are enjoying getting to use the elevator while the stairs or under construction.

The remodel led by Bayley Construction started in October and is slated to be finished by April.

We’ll be able to increase by approximately 50 kids,” Hendricks said. “The good thing is that we’ll get kids off the waiting list. Bad thing is, it will create a new waiting list.”

Hendricks said the remodel will add four major rooms and one fitness room.

“On nice days we can go to Salmon Bay or use the outside playground but when winter rolls around we have no place to take them except for the gymnasium which is used by many teams for practice and games,” Hendricks said. “With childhood obesity and all, we’ll try to schedule everyone for 45 minutes of exercise a couple times a week.”

Hendricks said the remodeling process started in September of 2008 when Hendricks asked for funding. With the various hoops to jump through, it has become a two-year process.

“It turns out that now is actually a great time to build because of the economy. The construction men don’t have any other jobs to do and they’re just flying,” Hendricks said.

Hendricks said the funding for the $2.1 million price tag came from two major sources and many smaller donations.

It started with Boys & Girls Club alumni John Goodman who pledged $1 million. Another big chunk of the money came Harry and Clare Wilson who left parts of their estate to the club.

“John grew up in the program [and] Harry was one of those guys who had a shovel in his hand to get the club started,” Hendricks said.