The city council in Redwood City, California, recently allocated $10 million toward the construction of a new YMCA facility in Red Morton Park that is expected to break ground later this year. Despite a $1 million commitment from Stanford University, the city is still $5 million short of project costs, according to a report by The Mercury News. The facility will feature indoor and outdoor pools, a new senior center with a test kitchen and a 300-seat theater. It will replace the Sequoia YMCA facility at 1445 Hudson St.
The 108-year-old facility that houses the South Sound YMCA, Olympia, Washington, is slated to reopen on Plum Street later this spring as the Plum Street YMCA, according to a Y media release. The new facility will be located at 505 Plum St., the former location of 5th Avenue Fitness, which will offer 16,000 square feet and 53 parking spots to members. “We could spend a million dollars in the building and not make a single improvement that would make a difference, or even be noticed, by members past or present,” Y CEO Kyle Cronk said in the release. “It’s just time to move.”
The 8th Street Family YMCA, Kansas City, Kansas, closed earlier this month after staff members uncovered "signs of deterioration," according to a March 9 media release. “We remain committed to continuing to work with the UG to build a new Y as part of a Healthy Living Campus in downtown Kansas City, KS,” Y CEO John Mikos said in the release. “We will share progress updates as they are available.” The facility claimed 753 members and employed three full-time staffers and another 30 on a part-time basis.
The Asheville YMCA, Asheville, North Carolina, recently celebrated the completion of a $2.5 million renovation project that began in July 2017. The Y held a March 10 open house and a March 13 ribbon-cutting to commemorate a 2,400-square-foot expansion to its wellness center, including new exercise equipment, an aquatics renovation and new lighting fixtures, according to a media release.
The Gothenburg YMCA, Gothenburg, Nebraska, is slated to soft-open April 17 with a grand opening on April 27. With a population of just over 3,000, The North Platte Telegraph reported Gothenburg will become the smallest town in the United States with a Y.
The Moneta YMCA, Moneta, Virginia, notified its members in a March 4 letter that it will permanently close April 30, according to The News & Advance. The letter noted that declining membership made it no longer feasible to continue operating the Mayberry Crossing Drive facility, encouraging members to instead use the nearby Bedford Area Family YMCA.
Six years after the YMCA of Honolulu made a deal to sell part of its Central Oahu branch property, the organization is now suing a developer for failing to "deliver on the promise" to develop the land. According to Hawaii News Now, the Y in 2012 allegedly agreed to sell part of its Central Oahu site to MB Property Acquisitions LLC, San Francisco, who had planned to construct condominiums on the property. A new Y was intended to be built next to the new condos, and the facility's gym and swimming pool closed indefinitely. Hawaii News Now reported the Y has called off the deal and is seeking to collect $2 million from MB Property Acquisitions.
Club Industry's YMCA briefs features recent notable openings, real estate transactions and renovations among American Y facilities. Do you have news to share with us? Send your news, tips or story ideas to [email protected]. You can also connect with us on Facebook, on Twitter and on LinkedIn.