Central Y’s sleek new look reflects downtown change

For 101 years, the Central YMCA in the heart of downtown Youngstown has shined as a vibrant beacon for building healthy bodies and sound minds.

Now, thanks to an impressive and top-to-bottom $5 million renovation of the Champion Street facility, the much brighter and rejuvenated headquarters of the Youngstown Y better mirrors its multi-faceted mission.

The amazing physical transformation of the aging and increasingly dark and dank structure was unveiled to the public Thursday at a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony. The yearlong remodeling project, under the direction of Strollo Architects Inc. of Youngstown, has made a night-and-day difference to the character and allure of the center.

As Vindicator Business Writer Kalea Hall reported in a story published Friday, immense challenges confronted workers in reinventing the Central Y. Glass floors and hidden staircases were only a couple of the surprising obstacles that workers met and conquered – on time and on budget.

The result has been a much more fitness-friendly environment for the association’s thousands of members. The workout areas feature a new weight room, cardio room and group fitness center. A restaurant was relocated from the second floor to the first floor to make room for a new group fitness center.

From our perspective, the most dramatic visible improvement resulted from ripping down characterless bricks and mortar and replacing them with expansive clear windows to give treadmill runners and others a clear and panoramic view of the revitalized central city.

For the outsider looking in, the new shiny, sleek and clean exterior creates a much more inviting welcome mat to the Y’s wealth of fitness and community- service programs.

COMMITMENT TO DOWNTOWN

The project also complements excellently several other ongoing renewal projects ongoing in the downtown ranging from construction of a major DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in the former Stambaugh high-rise to planning for a large outdoor amphitheater, bike trail and riverfront park.

Indeed one of the Central Y’s most visible assets has been its endurance in nourishing the health and vitality of the city’s central business district. As other major anchors of downtown life – major department stores, theaters and businesses – exited for the suburbs in the latter decades of the 20th century, the Central Y has remained strongly intact and steadfastly loyal. Today, it stands as one of the few major YMCAs in the state and nation that has refused to abandon its downtown roots.

As Tom Gacse, president and chief executive officer of the downtown YMCA, proudly put it, “We are a fabric of this community. … We are committed to downtown.”

We commend YMCA leaders for that commitment and feel confident that its sparkling new digs will drive increased interest and membership to fulfill its century-old mission of building a “healthy spirit, mind and body for all.”