New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
YMCA closes with plans to rebuild
HAMDEN — The coronavirus crisis accelerated the permanent closing of the Hamden/North Haven YMCA on Sherman Avenue, but the organization has plans for a new facility.
The closure is in addition to shuttering the Valley YMCA Ansonia branch on State Street in that city. Both buildings have been closed since the shutdown in March.
The Hamden building opened in 1971, Ansonia’s in 1924, and were designed for a different purpose at the time, Dave Stevenson, president and CEO of the Central Connecticut Coast
YMCA said.
The Hamden building was in need of repair and too expensive to renovate, especially since the property isn’t zoned for indoor recreation, limiting the programs the YMCA would like to offer there, said Stevenson.
“With it being in such rough shape, and indoor only, we’re going to start looking at building a new building in either Hamden or North Haven,” he said.
The location held small group exercise classes, a small wellness center and a swimming pool. The YMCA programming, including the summer camp and school programs, will continue for Hamden and North Haven and Stevenson said they are looking to find a partner to continue the swimming programs.
“The Y is very much open, although the buildings are closed,” Stevenson said.
When the organization had to close all branch doors at the beginning of the pandemic, the YMCA decided to stop drafting membership fees, which cut revenues by 90 percent, Stevenson said.
“It was an immediate signif
icant loss of revenue so we knew we’d have to develop some new ideas,” he said.
“This was a very difficult decision as these two buildings have served their communities very well for many years,” said board of directors Chairwoman Blanca Kazmierczak.
Memberships have been declining in recent years, and Stevenson said they have been looking at the state of all their facilities, particularly the older ones, such as those in Hamden, Ansonia and Stratford.
The group is planning renovations to the Fairfield YMCA and a new building in Stratford, but developing an eventual facility in the Hamden/North Haven area will take consideration.
Ideally, Stevenson said they’d like for a new facility to be on ample land and about twice the size of the current 22,000-square-foot building.
“New facility construction is very expensive so we want to make absolutely sure that we get it right based on what local residents want and need,” Stevenson said. “To do this, we will be spending a great deal of time listening to Y members and local residents to hear their ideas about what they would like in their new Y.”
The cost for building new facilities could range from $15 million to $40 million, he said.
The Central Connecticut Costal YMCA has 12 branches covering 25 municipalities from Fairfield to Madison.