Area YMCA gets closer to new home
The Rockbridge Area YMCA is beginning to plan how to convert the former Kmart building in Stonewall Square on Route 60 into a family recreational center. The YMCA board chose the site in September to replace its current location on Walker Street.
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| Directors of the local YMCA hope to move the facility into the old Kmart shopping center on Route 60. (COLLEEN EVANS/ Rockbridge Report) |
The YMCA has called in J.M. Turner and Co. and Rife and Wood Architects to plan construction.
According to Eric Wheeler, director of programming at the YMCA, the team hopes to decide soon on an opening date for the new center, but base-level floor plans are still being discussed.
Wheeler said that the YMCA will occupy half of the Kmart building. A family pool, full-court gym and a health and wellness center will be features of the new facility, Wheeler said. Other facilities, such as racquetball courts, are still under consideration.
Full-time child care, a new service, will be offered when the new building opens. The YMCA now hosts after-school programs at local elementary schools and a child-watch service at its current building during weekly adult classes.
Current membership at the YMCA includes access to strength and cardiovascular equipment, aerobic classes, free child care during parents' visits and use of any of the 2,500 YMCAs in the United States and internationally. Monthly membership rates range from $35 to $62.
The planning team’s current work should yield an estimated cost for the conversion. The next step will be to conduct a fundraising study and raise money.
Wheeler said he is confident the community will support the cause.
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