City officials offered an update at the Gainesville City Council Work Session Thursday morning on the extensive renovation of the Lake Lanier Olympic Park boathouse.
Robyn Lynch, director of Gainesville’s Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the renovation is expected to break ground in April. Final construction documents are currently scheduled to be delivered to Caroll Daniel Construction on Feb. 15, 2022.
Lynch detailed the specific amenities that the boathouse will include once complete, beginning with the exterior. An additional parking lot with 92 parking spaces will be added directly in front of the building. The boathouse will also be raised four feet to eliminate flooding concerns from the current building.
The exterior design of the building will be updated to blend in with the neighborhood, according to Lynch. Lastly, a covered drop-off and pick-up entrance and a separate service entrance will be added to the building.
The interior of the building will be split into three floors, with the bottom floor, or basement, being primarily used by clubs.
“They’ll have ample space, they’re going to have a joint training/workout facility, office space, storage, locker rooms, direct access to the docks and there will be amenities for visiting athletes,” Lynch said. “This is really going to help us when we’re trying to bring in new teams for spring break training.”
The main floor of the renovated boathouse is being designed with a focus as an event space. An outdoor pavilion on the main floor will seat 140 people, while an indoor ballroom will seat about 400 people. The ballroom can also be split into three rooms using moveable doors.
The main floor will include a catering kitchen which will be designed like the catering kitchen at Lanier Tech.
A bride's room/meeting room, staff offices and a legacy hall will also be available on the main floor, according to Lynch.
“This will be the only lakeside venue in the county … other than Lake Lanier Islands,” Lynch said. “Even at Lake Lanier Islands, they don’t have the views that we have.”
Finally, a second floor will have an executive boardroom and several offices.
“This will be a great space for the community to use when they need offsite space for board meetings or retreats,” Lynch said. “It has a fireplace, a view of the lake and a sunset.”
Photos of the proposed layout can be viewed in the above photo gallery.
