Stafford Drive YMCA to close
HIGH MAINTENANCE COSTS FOR AGING BUILDING PART OF DECISION TO FOCUS ON NEW WESTSIDE FACILITY
The YMCA of Lethbridge announced it will be closing its Stafford Drive location when the new Cor Van Raay westside location opens at the ATB Centre in 2019.
YMCA board chair Stephen Mogdan cited untenable maintenance and infrastructure replacement costs at the aging downtown facility as the primary reasons the board made the decision to close rather than trying to operate two facilities in the city.
“There were a number of factors which have gone into the decision, and very important in that is the cost of maintenance and capital replacement,” he said. “We are looking at very aged, and frankly crumbling, infrastructure for plumbing, HVAC and mechanical boilers — all those things, there is a cost. That was a very major part of the decision.”
According to a media handout provided by the YMCA, the cost to maintain and replace aging infrastructure at the downtown facility over the next four years would be approximately $3.4 million.
“Never did we take it for granted we would be closing this facility,” insisted Mogdan when asked if closure of the downtown location had been the YMCA of Lethbridge’s plan all along. “What we wanted to do was have the facility assessment review, and once we had that in hand, we could look at what our options were, what would be economically feasible, what’s going to serve our members best, and what is going to serve our community best.”
Mogdan also addressed criticisms about availability of accessible transport for residents needing the YMCA’s services in other areas of the city, who would now have to go to the westside location.
“One of the factors we looked at was accessibility,” he confirmed. “How are people getting to our facility right now? How are people going to get to the new facility? All of that went into the mix when considering making this decision. The reality is people have different abilities to attend different facilities. Certainly, we hope people will be able to adjust to be able to access the facility on the westside.”
Mogdan acknowledged the decision to close the Stafford Drive location would likely not be a universally popular one with residents. One of those residents, a senior who uses the downtown YMCA who would only give her name as Lorna, spoke up publicly shortly after Mogdan’s announcement.
“We have a lot of seniors downtown who come here to take swim classes,” she said to Mogdan. “What’s going to happen to them?”
She said not all seniors drive, and they need to access services closer to where they live.
“We have looked at those areas,” Mogdan answered, “and how people access the facility. While we are probably not going to be able to accommodate every single person and their specific needs, what we are trying to do, on the whole, is accommodate the majority of our members’ needs.”
The YMCA of Lethbridge said it will be holding a moderated stakeholder Q & A session on June 26 at 7 p.m. at the downtown YMCA for those who would like to give suggestions or voice concerns on the transition to the new Cor Van Raay location.
Follow @TimKalHerald on Twitter