Wednesday, March 29, 2000
YMCA unveils plans for $32.6 million expansion
$32.6M project includes new site
BY WILLIAM A. WEATHERS
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The YMCA of Greater Cincinnati unveiled a $32.6 million development and expansion plan Tuesday that will include a new family YMCA and sports pavilion near downtown Cincinnati.
The Carl and Edyth Lindner Family YMCA will be a 40,000-square-foot multilevel facility with an aquatics center, gymnasium, fitness center, teen leadership clubs and community gathering rooms for special events and continuing education.
The 78-foot-by-150-foot gymnasium inside the new YMCA will be called The Bob Huggins Sports Pavilion and will include a regulation collegiate court and three cross courts.
The new city YMCA and the gymnasium are being built with the help of donations from Carl and Edyth Lindner and The Bob Huggins Foundation. The site of new facility, which will be near the “heart of the city,” will be announced in the coming months.
“Trust me, it's a significant commitment,” YMCA President Jerry Haralson, said of the donations from the Lindners and Mr. Huggins at a press conference at the Albert B. Sabin Cincinnati Convention Center prior to the YMCA's annual meeting. Mr. Haralson declined to reveal the exact contributions.
“It's an exciting time for the YMCA,” Mr. Haralson said. The development plan includes:
• New full-service YMCA centers near downtown Cincinnati, in Northern Kentucky and in Loveland by 2002.
• Three free-standing teen centers that would feature computer and multimedia spaces and rooms for social events. The clubs would be in downtown, Clifton and a location to be announced later.
• Smaller program centers in Dearborn County, Lawrenceburg, Aurora and Harrison.
• Face lifts for nearly all existing YMCA facilities, ranging from aquatic centers to “Kid Clubs.”
Cincinnati financier Mr. Lindner credited Joe Calloway, executive director of the YMCA's West End and Melrose branches for alerting him to the need for more YMCA facilities and programs for children within the city. He called Mr. Calloway “a passionate leader, but not the pushy type.”
Mr. Huggins, head coach of University of Cincinnati men's basketball team, said his foundation and the YMCA have similar goals.
“We're all trying to help kids, influence kids,” he said. In the gymnasium, basketball and other athletics will be used “as a hook” to get kids involved in programs that stress academics and social skills, he said.
Mr. Huggins said he's already heard from former players who have volunteered to conduct clinics at the new facility. “This place is going to be unlike any other place in the city where you can do so many things,” he said.
Describing the new teen centers, Ron Chambless, YMCA senior vice president, said: “Our community has spoken. Our surveys told us we need to reach out to our teens.”
A teen board made of of representatives from 75 high schools will help determine the type of programs offered at the teen centers, he said.
The financial breakdown of the $32.6 million development and expan sion project is: City Agenda, $5.0 million; Teen Agenda, $1.5 million; Northern Kentucky, $7.7 million; new branches, $7.3 million; existing branch projects, $11.1 million.
YMCA officials said a significant amount of the $32.6 million has already been raised, but that a capital campaign likely will be launched to complete the projects.
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