In 1955 the Eugene Family YMCA opened its doors at its current location on Patterson Street. And in the intervening decades, the town around this building grew and grew, while the structure remained the same. Today, that building, while charming and quaint, is tiny, shabby and outdated.
However, just a block away, a shiny, modern and by comparison, massive new structure is in the final stages of construction and will open up in just a couple of weeks. Soon, in the words of Y leadership, a world-class facility will open its doors to the community.
Here are some stats to consider.
The new building, the result of a $47.62 million capital campaign is 75,000 square feet compared to the old building of 50,000 square feet.
The old building’s health and wellness area was a little less than 4,00 square feet, the new building’s is more than 14,000 square feet.
The Aquatic center was 6,500 sf, the new one will be nearly 8,000
The community room and drop-in child care were 650 and 700 square feet respectively, and they now balloon to 1,300 and 2,200.
On this edition of Oregon On the Record, we'll take an audio tour of the new facility and what it will offer members. We'll also heard from leaders and members and get a picture of how the new Y will become so much more than just a place to lift weights and swim.
Our guests on the show included:
- Brian Steffen, CEO
- Kimberly Miller and Kari Porter, Health and Wellness and Membership Directors
- And Cedar Jernigan, longtime Y member
Attached is a link to information about the new YMCA:
The New Y
