Breaking ground for YMCA

By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BOARDMAN -- Officials of the YMCA and Humility of Mary Health Partners have completed their first steps toward building a suburban YMCA they hope won't have to endure competition from a taxpayer-funded recreation center.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held Wednesday at the building site for the $12 million YMCA project, which will closely mirror the downtown Youngstown facility minus a few amenities, such as racquetball and Hammer Strength weight training equipment.
The 70,000-square-foot facility will have a few specialties of its own, however, such as an aquatic play area for children. The building is expected to be completed in early 2003.
YMCA officials have said members will be permitted to use either facility.
Location: The facility will be built on the Boardman campus of Humility of Mary Health Partners, which partnered with the YMCA on the project. Michael Rowan, president and CE of HMHP, said the partnership is a better way for both organizations to better serve the community.
"The reality is we have a common mission to take a faith-based organization and better the community," he said.
The YMCA facility, however, may not be the only family-oriented health and wellness facility coming to the township and some are wondering exactly how many pools, courts and tracks the area can handle.
About rec center: Boardman Township Park officials are placing a 1.8 mill, 30-year levy on the ballot in May to cover the cost of a master plan for the park that will include a community recreation center. The rec center will cost an estimated $19 million and could be in operation as early as 2004.
The two facilities will be within walking distance of each other in a township of about 50,000 residents.
Ken Wilson, YMCA president of the board of trustees, said park officials should hold off until after the YMCA facility is built in order to determine what needs are not being met before going forward with the rec center.
Wilson admitted both facilities would be vying for members from the same area, making it difficult to secure enough memberships for both to remain viable. Both establishments will need about 12,000 members.
"It will be competition, but competition is not a dirty word, so if their levy passes then we will work together," said Wilson. "We support what the park is trying to do, but we feel it should have been done after the YMCA facility is built."
No official position: According to township trustee Tom Costello, trustees are not taking an official position on the rec center issue. He said trustees agreed to allow the issue to be placed on the ballot so residents could decide the matter independent of the trustees' influence.
Trustees did review a ruling from the Ohio Attorney General's office before allowing the issue to be passed onto voters to determine if they would be financially liable should the rec center not generate enough funds to stay afloat. He said trustees would have no financial stake in the facility.
Trustee Kathy Miller, however, is in full support of the rec center. She said the facility would be a wonderful addition to the township in the years to come and would increase property value and quality of life here.
jgoodwin@vindy.com