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April 23, 2010: SAVE THE DATE
Don't miss out on what is certain to be a special and historical family event...the South YMCA Celebration!
March 15, 2010
We are very pleased to announce that we have been successful in receiving approval to move forward in relocating the South YMCA Kids' Club program to Haysboro School for September 2010. Read on for details.
South YMCA to close in September 2010
As you may be aware, YMCA Calgary management has been searching for sustainable solutions to the challenges of the South YMCA facility for a long time. Management was formally directed to present a sustainable solution to the Board by the end of 2009.
Ultimately, we were unable to find a sustainable solution that would allow us to keep the South YMCA facility open.
On December 8, 2009, YMCA Calgary's Board of Directors passed a motion to proceed with the closure of the South YMCA as of September 5, 2010. All programs and services will continue as usual until then with the following exceptions:
- Licensed child care will continue until August 31, 2010. We continue to seek out alternative locations to sustainably operate a child care centre after this date.
- Our Kids' Club after school program will end as scheduled at the end of the 2009-2010 school year. We hope to have a new location for Kids' Club when school resumes for the 2010-2011 school year.
We will be offering ways to make it easy for members to transfer their memberships to other YMCA branches. We also hope to continue to have a presence in the community and will continue to seek out alternative locations for some programs. We will be contacting South YMCA members in the near future with details about their options.
I appreciate this is sad news for everyone and not a decision anyone wanted. We have been moved by the sense of community our members, volunteers, and staff have expressed. The next few months will be sad for everyone involved, but we hope they will also be a time to recall the many wonderful memories and to celebrate the South YMCA.
Sincerely,
Helene Weir
President and CEO
YMCA Calgary
December 7, 2009
As part of our research into the South YMCA decision, we engaged a consulting company to conduct a market survey to assess community needs, and surveyed our own members to learn more about how they use the facility. Here are the results of both.
South YMCA Member Survey (pdf, 170KB) - NOTE minor details in some of the verbatim comments have been removed to protect the privacy of the commenter.
November 27, 2009
YMCA Calgary senior management will be making a recommendation about the future of the South YMCA to YMCA Calgary's Board of Directors. This may result in the closure of the South YMCA.
We expect to have a Board decision in early December. Members, volunteers and other interested people are invited to a meeting to learn about that decision.
Date: Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Time: 8:00pm
Location: South YMCA Mini Gym
Babysitting will be available at no cost for those who require it. Please call 403-255-8131 to reserve a space.
If you have any questions or require more information, please contact us by phone at
403-313-3153 or by email at southinfo@ymcacalgary.org.
November 5, 2009
Over the past few weeks, we've been answering a lot of questions relating to the issues we're facing and the opportunities that are available to us. Here is a bit more information about our options.
We have been searching for solutions over the past several years, and are continuing to do so now. The primary options that have been discussed include partnerships, fundraising, and seeking government support.
Partnerships
As you may know, the South YMCA facility sits on land leased from the City of Calgary.We've been talking with the City a lot over the last few years to discuss possible options and solutions. The City did undertake a study to see what uses or partnerships might be able to occur on the site. Unfortunately, there are no options that they are interested in pursuing right now.
Calgary Transit had plans for a possible redevelopment of the Heritage LRT station that would have seen a few floors of a high rise dedicated to a YMCA. While this once looked promising, the economic downturn has dropped this project from Calgary Transit's list of priorities. Such a development is now at least 10 years away.
We have also been in discussions with the United Way and Alberta Health Services about potential partnerships on the site. Though there have been a few possibilities raised, the economic downturn has indefinitely postponed any promising alternatives.
We have spoken to developers interested in a development on the site that could incorporate a new facility, but that too has fallen away since the start of the recession.
Options for repurposing the building, for instance by putting in more office space in the building, have been examined. However, in these cases, the expenses of bringing the facility up to code were prohibitive.
We do continue to seek options with regards to partnerships and will keep you informed of any new developments.
Fundraising
Several people have asked why we aren't fundraising to pay for the needed repairs. This remains a possibility, but it is complicated. Even if we raised enough money for repairs, we would still be faced with the issue of finding enough parking, and there's no saying whether a renovated or new facility would have enough members to cover its costs.
As well, fundraising on this scale is very tough to do. The Growing Strong Together Community Campaign that we held a few years ago was the biggest fundraiser in our history. It took five years to raise $10 million for several projects.
Government Funding
Again, this is something we have looked into, but there are a few hurdles. First, the South YMCA is in the same area as several other similar facilities, which means that it is not considered a priority area for recreation funding.
Second, the current economic situation has seriously restricted the amount of money government has available for projects like this one.
What it means for us
Please know that through this process, we are continuing to seek out alternatives, and are open to looking at any that present themselves. Should any viable alternatives arise, they will definitely be considered as part of our recommendation.
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October 23, 2009
Over the past week, we have been getting lots of good, in-depth questions about the South Y facility, our options and our decision process. We will be sharing as many answers as we can on this site over the next few weeks.
This post deals with the challenges we're facing to redevelopment on the current site. Stay tuned for detailed information on other topics next week.
Challenges | Sustainability | The site | The building | Stay informed
Challenges
The issue of what to do with our building is complex. The building is nearing the end of its life span, we lack resources to rebuild, there are site limitations, and we must have a sustainable operating model.
Sustainability
Our goal is to find a sustainable way to keep serving the South YMCA community into the future.
Never in its 46-year history has the South YMCA been a financially sustainable YMCA branch. The Association has been subsidizing the branch for years because we believe it provides important services to the community.
We know these services are important to people, but we need to be responsible and make sure that our decisions about our future presence in this community is based on a viable, sustaining operating model.
The Site
The South YMCA sits on land leased from the City of Calgary, and the land includes include a utility right-of-way.
The building was constructed to 1963 standards. Current development regulations are substantially different now and mean that if we were to rebuild, there would be many changes. For example, a building the current size of the South YMCA facility would need at least 140 more parking spaces than we currently have. Paving the outdoor tennis/basketball courts would yield an additional 15 spaces.
State of the Building
Our building is nearly 50 years old and showing its age. A complete facility assessment was completed in 2002 and regular updates of this assessment have occurred since then. There have been several investments in the facility over the years, including a $1 million renovation in 1990 and recent work to restore the squash court and repair damage to the roof.
The estimated cost to refurbish the building and bring it up to current development standards is approximately $3 to $5 million. The cost to tear down the current building and rebuild one similar is estimated at $20 million.
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October 16, 2009
Situation | The process | What it means for you | Stay informed
The situation
The South YMCA has been serving the surrounding area since 1963. We are proud to be a part of the community, and intend to continue meeting its needs to the best of our ability. However, as the building ages, we are faced with some challenging decisions about the future presence of the South YMCA.
The building has undergone many renovations over the years and, recently, has begun to need more and more extensive work. The major water damage from the steam room, discovered this summer, is just the latest indicator that the South YMCA building is reaching the end of its lifespan.
Our Board of Directors has asked us to study the current situation and provide a recommendation for the future of the South Y. Over the next few months we will be following a process to look at the situation and study the community's needs. This will help us make a recommendation that will best meet those needs in a sustainable way.
There are some significant hurdles to renovating or rebuilding – we currently lack the funds required to do so, and there are some land use restrictions. However, it is important to note that we are just in the beginning stages of our work, and no decisions have been made at this point.
About the process
In order to put forth a recommendation there are a few significant items that have already begun and others that will be happening soon. We have completed an assessment of the state of the building. Between now and the end of November, a consulting company will be helping us study and assess the needs of the communities served by the South Y. This will help us understand what programs and services are most needed in the area and help us consider how we might best be able to meet them. In addition, we will be consulting with South YMCA staff, volunteers, members and participants in a number of ways.
We will make a recommendation to the Board of Directors at the end of 2009, and they will make a final decision some time after that.
What this means for you
We recognize that we provide critical services to our membership and participants, and that this process is concerning to many of you. As a non-profit, it is our mission to serve the community and our goal is to find a sustainable way to continue to do so in the area around the South YMCA.
Though closing the facility is a possibility, it is not the only possibility. We have and will continue to seek out sustainable options, such as partnerships, and other funding models.
We want to be honest with you about the situation we are in, but it is important to note that no decision has been made yet. Until there is a decision, our programs and services will continue as usual. If the decision means changes at the South Y, these will likely happen over time – not right away. We will provide as much notice as we can before making changes that affect our members, participants, staff and volunteers.
How to stay informed
We are committed to keeping you informed during this process.
On October 15, we held an information session that was attended by about 75 members of the South Y community. This was the first of several sessions designed to share information and listen to people's questions, views and concerns.
We will also be providing regular updates in the branch, through mail and email, and here on our website. If you would like to be included in email updates, please send your email address to southinfo@ymcacalgary.org, or leave your information at the front desk of the South YMCA.
We welcome your questions and feedback. At any time, you are welcome to get in touch with us in person, by phone at 403-313-3153, or by email at southinfo@ymcacalgary.org.
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