The City Council discussed the importance of the new YMCA facility that is being developed to replace the current aging facility in Jamestown at the most recent council meeting. Pictured are members of the City Council during Monday’s work session meeting.
P-J photo by Timothy Frudd
As the Jamestown City Council prepares to vote on additional American Rescue Plan Act funding programs at the end of the month, council members are expected to pass a resolution that would provide funding opportunities for nonprofit organizations.
The council’s Finance Committee approved a resolution designating $1.5 million in ARPA funding for the Nonprofit Assistance program. The resolution will now be sent to the full City Council for a vote at the end of November.
If the resolution is passed, the Nonprofit Assistance program would create an opportunity for the Jamestown Local Development Corporation to administer grant application funding to local nonprofits.
One of the nonprofit agencies that has been discussed by the City Council is the YMCA.
“I’ve heard a lot about the funding of a brand new YMCA,” City Councilwoman Marie Carrubba, D-Ward IV, said.
Carrubba questioned the need for a new YMCA facility when SUNY Jamestown Community College could be utilized by the community at a lower cost. Carrubba explained that JCC wants to provide opportunities for the community to engage with what the college campus has to offer.
“They have a brand new kitchen facility,” she said. “I understood that they wanted to provide meals for the kids. That was part of the project. They have a pool, they have a track, they have basketball. That building could be expanded for a lot less than building a brand new YMCA.”
City Council President Anthony Dolce, R-Ward II, said while there had been discussions about utilizing the college campus, the programs provided by the YMCA would not be fully compatible with the services at the college.
“It’s kind of apples and oranges,” he said.
Additionally, Dolce said the college campus would not be a legitimate option for the YMCA to consider due to the gym facilities remaining closed to the public.
“It’s not open,” Dolce said. “It hasn’t been open for two years.”
City Councilman Brent Sheldon, R-Ward I, and Carrubba explained that the college gym facilities would soon be reopened for the public.
Carrubba stressed the importance of community organizations working together and forming partnerships that could reduce operation costs and provide benefits for local residents.
“There are opportunities,” she said. “It’s worked with the Y in Olean with the college as a partner. There are some opportunities there with the college, and I’m sure the college would be amenable to try and work something out.”
In addition to the benefit of the gym facilities and kitchen facilities at the college, Carrubba believes there could be other advantages of a partnership between the local YMCA and JCC. If the YMCA were to utilize the facilities at JCC, Carrubba believes staffing would be much easier.
“That would also ease staffing because they have college students working there,” she said. “Payroll wouldn’t be as bad.”
Dolce pushed back against Carrubba’s idea of a close partnership between the YMCA and the college, emphasizing that different organizations are already working together to make a new facility successful.
Councilman William Reynolds, R-Ward V, encouraged his fellow council members to support the proposal to provide funding opportunities for the YMCA and other nonprofit agencies. He suggested the city should invest in the nonprofit agencies that are already making a positive impact on the community.
“A few of the organizations that are being considered for this funding have done quite a bit of work to put money in the pipeline,” Reynolds said.
Councilman Jeff Russell, R-At Large, emphasized the importance of the YMCA and the difference the organization has made over the years in the community.
“I personally can’t think of a better project to support than the YMCA if you think about the number of lives that place has touched,” Russell said.
Sharing his own story, Russell said the YMCA kept him “off the streets” as a child and gave him opportunities growing up that would not have been possible without the organization. Russell believes the entire community can benefit from a new YMCA building.
“I can’t think of a better opportunity here than to service all members of the community, from our youth to young adults to the older generation,” he said. “The building is well outdated, and we need a new YMCA. I just can’t think of a better thing to put money into or have a commitment to from the city that’s going to benefit everyone from all walks of life.”
While the majority of the council appeared to favor investing in the new YMCA facility, Carrubba remained hesitant and questioned what the current building would be used for in the future. She presented a concern about the current YMCA building becoming a large unoccupied space in the community that could be hard to redevelop for other purposes.
Gebbie Foundation President Greg Edwards said he has been involved in conversations about the YMCA for over seven years and believes the organization is certainly in need of a new facility.
“There’s no doubt that anyone who has taken a look at the building recognizes that this 1929 structure has far out-lived its capacity,” he said. “The engineers have looked at it and were surprised that there have not been more serious challenges, particularly with the older pool and the surrounding area.”
Edwards explained that although redeveloping the building presents complications given the remaining 12-15 years of its HUD contract, he is confident that the building could be redeveloped and become a positive asset to the community.
“There have been significant conversations around how that could actually be a plus to other redevelopments potentially around this city and how that building could be reused,” he said.
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