A letter to members contains an apology for not informing them sooner about the closing.

By Jordan Cohen

A letter to members contains an apology for not informing them sooner about the closing.

WARREN — The Trumbull County YMCA Board of Trustees has sent a letter to its membership confirming a report published Aug. 28 that it plans to close the Eastwood Branch in Niles on Oct. 1.

The Y has a paid membership of nearly 1,170 of which 240 were registered at Eastwood.

The trustees’ letter says the area’s changing demographics made it impossible to continue operating Eastwood and the main branch on High Street in Warren. Members had been permitted to use both facilities.

The Vindicator broke the story last month that the facility would be shutting down.

The letter says critical factors in its decision were the pending opening of the city of Niles Wellness Center that will be free for Niles residents, “a declining customer base and dealing with a facility that had not been updated since its construction some 30 years ago.”

The Eastwood facility also had been facing costly repairs for its swimming pool that has been closed since July, repairs that board chairman Bill Beinecke said would run “at least $10,000.”

According to board records, the vote to close the Eastwood branch occurred July 16.

In its letter, the board said that it had hoped to “honor its time frame in regard to notification of staff” and membership, but acknowledged that it had not done so before the story’s publication.

“For that, we sincerely apologize,” the letter states.

The letter attributes the delay to consideration of “other options” for Eastwood, but does not disclose what the options were. In a previous interview, Beinecke also declined to disclose them.

The letter indicates that settlements for members who bought memberships at Eastwood are possible and has advised members to call the Y for information after Monday. There has been no comment on the status of Eastwood’s three full-time employees.

The remaining Y facility is 75 years old, and the board says it is “committed to targeting key areas to upgrade,” such as recent improvements to the Cardio Center.

Beinecke said that the Y plans the largest fundraising campaign in its history later this year.