YMCA supporters asking: Why not us, why not now?

Friday, May 27, 2016

If positive vibes can indeed spur action, the support shown this week by about 50 community members attending a public meeting on the possibility of a community center for Greencastle and Putnam County bodes well for the idea.

Although no official action has been taken by the City of Greencastle or the Wabash Valley YMCA Board of Directors -- save a memorandum of understanding between those entities and a pending partnership with Putnam County Hospital as well -- all signs seemed to point favorably Tuesday night toward fulfillment of such a project.

The idea continues to be for the facility to be built by the City of Greencastle and staffed and operated by the Wabash Valley YMCA.

YMCA officials have been impressed by community response to its online questionnaire and follow-up meetings. Residents, meanwhile, were pleased to hear such information as individual memberships likely costing as little as $30-35 a month with family memberships as low as $60 a month.

The first step toward the reality of the project will be distribution of an RFQ (request for qualifications) for architectural services to be sent out early next week.

"There are still a number of steps to go," Mayor Bill Dory cautioned. "We're not going to put a shovel in the ground tomorrow."

The architectural firm that is ultimately selected, he said, will be charged with providing input into design, development of a budget and site selection.

"Hopefully all of us here tonight will be future members of the 'Y,'" Dory added.

Although no site has been selected, the audience was told three sites have been explored by the YMCA board. They are Big Walnut Sport Park, the old Jones School property on the west side of Greencastle and a site Dory termed "generally on the East Side."

The mayor estimated site selection and other pre-construction considerations could take an estimated six months.

Construction -- depending on how elaborate a building is eventually designed -- could take another 12-14 months, Dory predicted.

City Councilman Steve Fields asked the mayor for a "ballpark figure" on the cost of the project.

Mayor Dory said he'd "rather not" predict such a cost figure since the site selection and acquisition could change the estimate substantially.

At an earlier public meeting, however, the community center was listed as potentially an $8 million to $10 million project.

The cost of the building, Wabash Valley YMCA representative Deb Ringo said, would be approximately $200 per square foot.

And a community center building of approximately 30,000 square feet has been suggested. That alone would compute to a $6 million construction cost without figuring in site costs, soft costs, financing costs and more.

That's why, Dory said, he is hesitant to talk cost figures "until we get more homework done."

"Nobody is proposing the Taj Mahal by any means," he stressed, indicating the idea is to balance what the community needs with what the community can afford.

Ringo agreed, commenting that when the focus groups ranked possible amenities, "Disneyland in Greencastle was really the hope, but we have to cut back on some of those things."

Dory also noted that the site chosen would need to be big enough to allow for future expansion, as well as parking.

And then there's a pool issue that won't seem to go away.

Ringo admitted that when many people think of the facility, "they think of swim and gym at the YMCA."

Current plans do not include a pool for the local community center, although Dory said the design could be such that "if at some point the community has the resources for a pool, we could do that."

Ringo explained that across Indiana and the U.S., small Y's have not been successful with pools.

"A pool is a great drain on expenses," she said, explaining that the Vigo County pool adds $150,000 a year to the cost of operations.

The YMCA board's recommendation, she said, "is to not move forward with the aquatics component."

To be successful, the study indicates a Putnam County YMCA would need to be supported by 1,000 local memberships. Ringo doesn't think that should be a problem for the community.

"I think that's underestimated," she said.

Beyond the memberships, however, there will need to be fundraising. Councilman Dave Murray asked how much the community would need to raise in additional support.

Terre Haute, Ringo said, raised $100,000 initially with an annual campaign amounting to eight percent of its budget.

"In this community," she said of Greencastle and Putnam County, "we're probably talking about raising $50,000 or $60,000."

Before it gets that far, however, a community center steering committee will be named. Mayor Dory said he has been gathering names to include on the panel.

"One of the first tasks might be to review the RFQ's from the architectural firms," he said.

The committee, he said, will be designed to serve as "sounding board for the community." Its meetings will have to be public sessions under the Open Door Law.

Representatives from the City Council, Park Board, Redevelopment Commission, Putnam County Hospital, YMCA and the public at large will comprise the committee, Dory said, noting that he has not talked to any individuals yet about serving.

The size of the steering committee is "being debated," he said, adding that the initial group will not be charged with the task of fundraising. That would likely fall to another committee, he added.

Further project update meetings will be called as needed, the mayor promised the enthusiastic group.

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