YMCA branches close amid COVID-19 effects
The St. Clair Shores and Livonia branches of the YMCA closed Friday due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Helene Weir, president and CEO of the YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit, said in a news release Friday the YMCA no longer can sustain the two facilities as the health crisis has compounded the organization’s financial issues.
“As we navigate the COVID-19 international health crisis, we must re-imagine how to best serve metropolitan Detroiters,” Weir said. “This means our YMCA has made the very difficult decision to permanently close two of our branches.”
The YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit Executive Committee on April 28 voted to close the branches, including Child Care.
The Lakeshore Family YMCA has operated for decades on Jefferson Avenue, north of Marter Road, near the Grosse Pointe border. It leases the space from St. Lucy Catholic Church. A school once operated there.
The Rev. Jim Commyn, St. Lucy’s pastor, said the parish will pray for those impacted by the closure.
“We will continue to be of service to the surrounding neighborhood as we move into the next phase of this challenging time and prepare to open,” Commyn said in an email.
The closure leaves only one YMCA facility, the Mount Clemens branch, operating in Macomb County. The Warren Family YMCA closed in 2009.
Weir said it became clear the two branches were not financially
the
Lakeshore sustainable as they have been operating in deficit. Lakeshore lost $630,000 over the past 10 years and Livonia lost $1.2 million over the same period, she said.
“Lakeshore is a rental property, and both branches do not have a large enough membership base to make them viable,” she said.
Weir said officials are developing
Macomb Frontline Heroes
a sustainable revitalization plan as it will try to recover from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Prior to the pandemic, the YMCA served over 70,000 men, women and children each year.
“We are hopeful that our YMCA can stabilize and recuperate from losses compounded by COVID-19 and its residual fallouts,” Weir said. “Our sole aim is to have a financially strong YMCA able to meet growing community needs. All our decision-making reflects our core values: caring, honesty, inclusion, respect, and responsibility.”
Once facilities are allowed to reopen, Lakeshore and Livonia members will receive a free membership for the remainder of 2020 to use at any of its eight other locations in Mount Clemens, Farmington, Auburn Hills, Birmingham, Detroit, downriver, Milford, and Royal Oak.