More Pictures and Articles about New Y:
September 2008 Ad!
Y Executive Director points out aspects of new YMCA at "Big Splash" Event in July 2009. Photo: Dave Lein, GT Insider
Rotary Charities 2008 Gift
Big Splash Community Event
Here is an article that appeared in the April/May 2009 issue of “Families First Monthly.”
THE NEW YMCA
Yes, it is going to be built.
After nearly 5 years of planning to make sure we get it right, a new YMCA campus will be built over the coming years on the 20.5 acres we own that was part of the ol’ Oleson Buffalo Farm on Silver Lake Road in Traverse City. We have the luxury of having access to the other 19.5 acres owned by Garfield Township for use of trails and fields if need be.
The Grand Traverse Bay YMCA was founded in 1963 by a group of dedicated Christian people working to service the community through a values based philosophy of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility built into all of its programs. This YMCA is owned by a 20-person community-based board of directors and is affiliated with the national YMCA. Our 3,000 members join some 21 million others who believe in the YMCA’s motto that “we build strong kids, strong families, and strong communities.” We have some 11,000 program users each year.
Our local YMCA moved into its current facility in the mid-1980s when it was a 25 year old tennis facility. Now over 50 years old, the facility cannot accommodate the 65 programs that the YMCA provide to the community or the over 270,000 building uses per year. The building is slowly sinking into the wetlands of the Garfield Township Boardman Nature Area. The Board of Directors adopted the new YMCA campus master plan concept to be built with philanthropic dollars because of the condition of the building, our ever expanding program, and the needs for the Grand Traverse Bay region in the coming half century.
The entire campus for the new YMCA will consist of 175,000 sq. ft. of facilities with the approximate cost of $25 million dollars. The campus will include a day care center, recreational and competition pools, outdoor tennis and pickelball courts, athletic fields, an indoor racquet center, a open field house, indoor walking and running track, gymnasiums, lock rooms, administration area, and a small chapel.
We will build the new YMCA campus as donations come in.
Our first essential phase will include four primary areas. In the aquatics area there will be a four lane lap pool, splash area, a learn-to-swim pool, and therapeutic hot tub. In health and fitness there will be a youth fitness area, a multi-purpose exercise room, an indoor and outdoor aerobics studio, fitness evaluation room, and seven area for free weights, selectorized and cardio areas. Because of the drastic need for child care we will build a 80 person child care center with secure outdoor play area, a child watch area accommodating children as parents workout or attend a fitness or swim class, and a “soft play “area in the lobby. The gymnasium complex will have an elevated indoor running and walking track, two full-size wood floor gymnasiums with court level spectator seating. The lobby will have an atrium feeling to it where the lobby area will have floor-to-ceiling viewing of the aquatics center with registration and juice bar area. Additionally the second floor fitness area and the gymnasium will have views to the lobby and pool.
The first essential phase will cost approximately $14.5 million. The YMCA will contribute about $2.5 million through proceeds of the sale of the Racquet Club road facility and some debt. The balance of the $12.0 million will be raised through philanthropic donations from people, companies, and charitable foundations. We do not anticipate any government or stimulus funding to be used in building the campus.
And the community has responded. Key philanthropists and companies have today contributed approximately $5.2 million. Through a campaign organized by volunteers deeply committed to the new YMCA campus, they have secured gifts ranging from $25 dollars to $1.7 million. We are blessed that over 11 gifts have been at or over $100,000. We have other campaign committees talking to individuals, companies and charitable foundations so that when the economy turns around we will be able to garner the balance of the $5.9 million to build the essential phase of the project. This will be done only by these individuals, companies and charitable foundation’s generosity to make this dream a reality.
Every donation is important not only in building the new YMCA campus but also the lives the facilities and programs will touch and change over the next 50 years.
Donations can be made through our partnership with the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation at its website at www.4good4ever.org. More information is available at the Grand Traverse Bay YMCA website at www.gtbayymca.org or by contacting this YMCA at 231-933-9622.
By Dave Eitland
YMCA Director of Development and Marketing
25 June 2009
Area Youth Group Gives to YMCA
