Ottawa YMCA Director Joe Capece remembers sitting in a YMCA board meeting years ago and hearing about the need for a new facility.
On Tuesday, he stood behind a 92-foot industrial steel beam about to be hoisted into the air and set into place to erect the new $25.7 million facility.
The board’s dream had come to fruition and a collection of people instrumental in making it happen met Tuesday to sign their names on that last piece of steel to be erected to the building.
“Thank you for your support,” Capece said. “Now your signatures will be there for generations. You can go to see your name.”
The steel will be visible from the interior at the southwest side of the walking track.
Along with signing their names, a collection of YMCA board members, community supporters and city officials took a tour of the ongoing construction, seeing the exterior walls have been put in place and certain areas sectioned off by the ongoing construction of interior walls. The tour was led by construction manager Point Core and architects Legat.
The YMCA still is on schedule for a spring 2024 opening.
In addition to its multi-use gymnasium with an integrated health and wellness center for exercise and prevention, the new facility will include a natatorium with a competition pool and warm water therapy pool, group exercise studios, a children’s adventure center, child watch areas, family locker rooms and multi-generational spaces for seniors and teens (creating a living room concept). It also will host a community kitchen for health eating and designated clinical space for the YMCA’s health care partner OSF St. Elizabeth Medical Center.
While the community has raised $7 million, it remains about $400,000 to the finish line of its campaign, Capece said. Anyone wishing to learn more about the campaign or donate can go to https://www.ottawaymca.org/support-the-y/ymca-capital-campaign or call the YMCA at 815-433-2395.
