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Boardman YMCA thanks members with $6M addition
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D.D. & Velma Davis Family Branch of the YMCA in Boardman. Trustees voted unanimously to approve a $6 million expansion.
The 30,000-square-foot expansion will lessen crowding at the facility.
By Jon Moffett
BOARDMAN — The Boardman YMCA branch will break ground on a $6 million expansion project exactly six years after the center opened.
The Youngstown YMCA’s board of trustees announced Monday that it had approved a plan to expand the D.D. & Velma Davis Family Branch by about 30,000 square feet, increasing the facility’s space to about 100,000 square feet.
Construction is scheduled to begin Sept. 10 and should take about a year to complete.
“The first thing is, we’ll be able to expand our business to our members and to the community,” said Ken Rudge, Youngstown YMCA president and chief executive. “This expansion helps us better serve the community and our members.”
The new space will be used for many things, including classes, a multi-purpose gym, an aerobics studio and locker areas. Rudge said he hopes the additional space will serve as a sign of gratefulness to the ‘Y’ members and supporters.
The date is significant because of the anniversary, but also in relation to the calendar: The ‘Y’ outdoor pool closes Labor Day, so construction won’t interfere with summer activities, he said.
The McClurg Road facility has more than 12,000 members, Rudge said. Due to the substantial memberships, the center often has trouble housing everyone.
“It gets pretty crowded here in the winter time,” said Brian Hambrick, 46, of Boardman. A member since 2005, he said he was excited about the expansion, saying, “I dig it. It’s good with me. That’s awesome.”
Brittney Tomko, 19, of Boardman, also agreed the expansion will help address crowding.
“That’s important because sometimes you have to wait a little too long for cardio equipment, and you get frustrated and just want to go. This will be a good thing.”
Rudge agreed with the patrons, saying, “It gets so packed in there that sometimes we aren’t able to serve our members as best we could. By doing this, we can better accommodate our members and at the same time offer growth.”
The plan to expand the YMCA has been in the works for about four years, Rudge said. The biggest hurdle was deciding whether to expand a current facility or build a new one. He added that the decision to expand a current facility was made because of the numbers involved.
“The economic factor is probably the biggest one right now, but we have a very successful facility in Boardman,” Rudge said. “We know this project will cost around $6 million, and we have earmarked that amount for this project.”
When construction began on the Davis Center in 2001, it cost about $15 million, Rudge said. He said construction of a new facility could be as much as $20 million, which is too steep in the current economy.
The best part about the expansion, he said, is that the money has been allotted through contributions and grant money. That means there is no borrowing or debt on the part of the YMCA, which is something Rudge wanted to avoid.
“With these tough economic times and the climate across the county, I don’t think anyone wants to be in debt,” he said.
“There’s just too much uncertainty out there ... The big thing is that any organization that has an extensive amount of debt is finding itself in financial trouble — so we want to avoid that.”
The Youngstown YMCA also operates the Central YMCA in downtown Youngstown and Camp Fitch on Lake Erie. It has a total membership of more than 20,000.
jmoffett@vindy.com