Town of Fort Erie offers YMCA $1 for building, contents
Task force working to keep services available for community
The Town of Fort Erie has made the YMCA of Niagara an offer it hopes they won’t refuse in an effort to buy the E.J. Freeland YMCA building and its contents — $1.
It’s the same amount YMCA of Niagara is said to have paid the town for the building in 1998.
The offer is an attempt by the town to keep services offered at the YMCA in the community.
In late March, YMCA of Niagara announced via email to its members that Fort Erie’s location was marked for closure, citing an aging facility in need of millions of dollars in renovations as the culprit.
“We wouldn’t have embarked upon this offer of purchase if we didn’t believe it was something we can do,” said Mayor Wayne Redekop. “If the YMCA intends to discontinue using the facility, we believe we can put it to good use.”
The Garrison Road facility opened in 1990 and features a gym and fitness centre, a cycle studio and indoor track, a threelane pool with a slide, and squash and racquetball courts.
After the community learned of the impending closure, Redekop created a task force comprising community members, town staff and councillors.
Task force member Coun. Nick Dubanow took to social media earlier this week to provide an update on efforts undertaken thus far, including the offer to purchase the building and contents.
“We’re all deeply concerned,” Dubanow said, noting his family are all members at the YMCA and use the facility frequently. Its closure, he said, would hit them hard.
“My wife was in tears when the news broke. So, when the mayor asked me to sit on the task force, I said yes. Anything we can do to keep the building open,” he said.
Dubanow said he wanted to ensure the community knew the task force was hard at work behind the scenes trying to come up with a solution. After announcing its plans to close the facility, YMCA Niagara embarked on a community consultation process.
“I feel like YMCA Niagara is painting things a certain way, and outside of Fort Erie they may be seeing one message about how this is playing out,” he said. “I wanted to ensure those inside Fort Erie know the work that’s being done to find a solution. If we don’t get our message out, people could get the impression the YMCA is dictating all of the terms”
Kyla Kumar, vice-president of marketing and communications for YMCA of Niagara, said the consultation process continues.
“We’ve received lots of important feedback from Fort Erie residents, members and community partners through our focus groups, meetings and online surveys. Our consultation process will continue this summer as we review this information,” she said, adding a formal date for the closure has yet to be set.
“We would ensure we provide substantial notice to our community and members in advance of any date.”
In the meantime, Redekop said the YMCA has until the end of next week to respond to the town’s offer and, if all goes according to plan, ownership could be transferred in September allowing time for an adequate transition.
The task force is looking into potential partnerships for the facility. Dubanow said there is one unnamed partner it’s hoping to team up with to provide programming in the facility, should the municipality be successful in its bid.
YMCA of Niagara chief executive officer Kyle Barber has stated the Fort Erie location racked up more than $3 million in operating expense losses over the past decade and the building needs $6 million worth of repairs, $2.3 million of which would need to be completed in the next three years.
Both Dubanow and Redekop said the town may take a different approach to repairs, triaging what work needs to be done. Redekop said it would look to find grants at the federal, provincial and regional levels, while also embarking on a community fundraising campaign.
Portions of the building have not been in use for years, he said, adding the town would also explore revenue channels that could come from the unused space.
While the name of the building would change, Redekop said he would like to see E.J. Freeland — the late prominent businessperson, philanthropist and former town councillor — continue to be associated with the facility.
“Right now, there are still lots of I’s to be dotted and T’s to be crossed, but it’s important for this information to be shared with the public,” he said.