The YMCA is looking into building another facility in Eugene. It’s now in talks to purchase a nearly five-acre property from the Lane Transit District.
On Wednesday, LTD's Board of Directors approved a plan to sell a vacant lot to the local YMCA for just over $4 million. It’s located on River Road in north Eugene, right next to the Santa Clara bus station.
Brian Steffen, the CEO of the Eugene Family YMCA, said the nonprofit would likely build a facility there that's just slightly smaller than the one in south Eugene.
Steffen said the existing YMCA, which opened in 2023, gets extremely busy during periods of the day—and that can create wait-times to get into some classes. He said this additional location would particularly help residents in neighborhoods like River Road, Bethel and Gilham, who can’t always easily commute across town.
“A community the size of the Eugene-Springfield metro area needs multiple locations to have as impactful of services associated with the health, youth mentoring and social engagement programs we have," said Steffen.
Steffen said it would help the YMCA to have the Santa Clara bus station so close by, increasing accessibility to the area, and reducing the need for parking on-site.
LTD's CEO Jameson Auten said the agency agreed to sell to the YMCA after years of discussion about how to use the land, which it purchased from Umpqua Bank in 2015.
“The Y's idea is in alignment with how we think about transit,” said Auten, "making sure that there are destination opportunities for people to be able to use the bus or to bike to get to.”
Auten said the revenue from the sale would go back into LTD's budget for services and capital projects. He said that would help meet Lane County's diverse transportation needs.
The YMCA is now entering into a "Due Diligence" period. It will spend at least nine months inspecting the land before finalizing the purchase.
Steffen said construction of the facility would likely be funded through a combination of donations and government grant funding. He is hoping it will open to the public within the next six to seven years.
