HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016 10-20 YMCA taking over Maplewood Community Center PIONEER PRESS
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YMCA taking over Maplewood
Community Center
Photo provided by the city of Maplewood
The YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities will take over operations of the Maplewood Community
Center in November.
By Sarah Horner | shorner@pioneerpress.com
October 20, 2016 at 5:11 pm
Maplewood is handing over the keys to its community center.
The Maplewood City Council voted 5-0 recently to turn over operations of the facility to the YMCA of the
Greater Twin Cities. City officials say the move will save Maplewood money and preserve the community
asset into the future.
Under the terms of the deal, the YMCA will begin running the facility Nov. 1, according to Duwayne
Konewko, environmental and economic development director for the city.
The nonprofit also will begin covering all operational costs for the community center at that time. The city
and the YMCA will share capital improvements costs for the center starting in the third year of the
partnership.
Maplewood plans to spend approximately $1.5 million to cover the building’s capital needs until then,
Konewko said.
The decision came after five years of the city shelling out between $250,000 and $450,000 a year to cover
the building’s operational costs alone, Konewko said.
As the facility — built in 1993 — aged, capital costs also were climbing. A recent needs-assessment of the
community center determined about $15 million would be needed to maintain it over the next 10 to 15
years.
“It wasn’t sustainable, and clearly the city needed to move in a different direction and that is where the
(city) council came in,” Konewko said. “Obviously their goal was to ensure it remains a viable amenity for
the community well into the future. … Maplewood doesn’t have a downtown or a high school, so this is a
key cornerstone for the city. … Now we have a partner to make sure it stays that way.”
The YMCA took over operations of Maplewood’s aquatic center last year.
The community center houses a fitness center, theater and gathering spaces for residents.
Mayor Nora Slawik acknowledged some angst among residents about the change. Much of the concern
focused on losing well-loved staff members through the transition, Slawik said.
While all staff needed to reapply for their posts, Slawik said most are expected to keep their jobs once keys
change hands at the center.
“People were concerned at first, but now they seem to understand the need and how this is ultimately going
to improve the facility, so I think most people are actually excited about the changes,” Slawik said.
She added that the YMCA runs fitness centers and community spaces throughout the metro area, so they
offer a level of expertise and efficiency Maplewood can’t emulate.
The nonprofit has committed to keeping membership fees no more than 3 percent higher than current levels
for at least three years. They could climb after that, though. Scholarships are available to help cover costs.
Current members likely won’t notice anything different about the center over the next few months,
according to Joan Schimml, a spokeswoman for the YMCA.
“We will evaluate programmatic opportunities and infuse additional YMCA programs as needed,”
Schimml wrote in an email. “We intend to enhance and maintain programs and experiences that work well
and add new experiences where necessary.”
In particular, the YMCA plans to bolster the center’s senior programs and make a more concerted effort to
connect with the city’s growing Hmong, Latino and Hispanic, and African-American populations, Schimml
said.
The YMCA has similar arrangements with Mounds View, White Bear Lake, Andover, Elk River and Forest
Lake.
Membership to the YMCA, which comes with access to its more than 20 locations across the state, is $67 a
month for adults and $124 for families. The nonprofit has a $50 enrollment fee. Additional pricing is
available for children and students.
By comparison, Maplewood residents with memberships to the Maplewood Community Center currently
pay $46 a month for adults and $73 for families.