YMCA of Madison County changes Anderson location after more than 100 years
This week, the YMCA of Madison County is officially opening its new Anderson location – after leaving its previous 110-year-old home. IPR’s Thomas Ouellette reports.
About five years ago, the board leading the YMCA of Madison County made the decision to sell its building space in Anderson and find a new facility. The board found that operating in its current building was no longer financially sustainable.
CEO Clark Simpson says the utility bill alone for the facility was more than $5,000 a month. Taking that in combination with the century-old building needing frequent repairs, the organization knew that meant it was time to move.
“We had the main boiler that heated the Y aspect, and it was it was going to cost between $40,000 and $60,000 to repair that,” Clark said. “And so we really didn’t have that in the Y budget to be able to do. And so that’s one of the things that hastened our need to get out of that facility.”
After three years of searching, the YMCA moved into a new Anderson facility on Lindberg Road, in partnership with fellow building neighbor Energy Impact Community.
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The new space has room for two gyms, rather than one. Clark says this will allow several programs to increase in size, and others to return – like massage therapy and Zumba.
The previous location was built specifically for the Anderson branch of the YMCA in the early 1900’s. Clark says it stood as a center for downtown activity up until about 20 years ago, when attendance started to decrease.
The old building was purchased by Episcopal Retirement Services. Clark says there hasn’t been any word on what they plan to do with the space now that the YMCA has moved out of it.
“We’re still the YMCA but you know it’s going to have a different face a different location and and you know many of the same programs, some new, but brighter,” Clark said.
He adds that membership prices are staying the same and there are no plans to increase them in the near future.
Thomas Ouellette is our reporter and producer. Contact him at [email protected]
