Images courtesy of the Tuckahoe Family YMCA.
Since first opening in 1975, the Tuckahoe Family YMCA has expanded and continues to welcome children, families and adults. Now, the Y is taking the next step in its never-ending mission of serving the community.
On Oct. 27, 2022, officials at the Y helped break ground on a new $9.2 million renovation at the facility. Lindy Bumgarner, the Y’s AVP of marketing and communications, said the Tuckahoe STRONG campaign to renovate the facility is centered on responding to vital community needs.
“Flexible, multipurpose space will maximize resources and impact allowing the Y to adapt programming to meet evolving demand and needs,” said Bumgarner. “Program space in the renovated building will be designed in a way that allows the space to be subdivided or enlarged as needed. The pandemic has highlighted the importance of the Y’s ability to evolve our programming to meet changing needs, and this improvement will allow us to serve our constituents and our community effectively and with flexibility.”
Renovation Features
Bumgarner said they began the Tuckahoe STRONG capital campaign to improve facilities, enhance their ability to serve members and the community, and to make their Y more welcoming and accessible to all.
The renovation will add the following features in order to achieve that goal.
- Improved accessibility and flow throughout the building, particularly for people with diverse abilities.
- Installation of automatic doors, an elevator, and a redesigned facility free of trip hazards and barriers to mobility.
- Expanded and modernized wellness center.
- Improved space for youth programs.
- Integration of the teen center into the main facility.
- Addition of a multi-purpose community space.
- Creation of an open gathering space where everyone feels welcome.
- Expansion and consolidation of child watch, a service that allows parents and caregivers to exercise or socialize at the Y knowing their children are under qualified supervision.
- Creation and expansion of locker rooms, including construction of family locker rooms to improve accessibility.
“This project has been a long time coming,” said Bumgarner. “Our community needs the YMCA, and the YMCA desperately needed to update, upgrade and adapt our building to the changing needs of the community. While COVID-19 delayed us, nothing was going to stop us from making this concept a reality.”
Reaction and What Lies Ahead
Katy Lampman, the executive director of the Tuckahoe Family YMCA, said the surrounding area has responded strongly to the news of the upcoming renovation.
“The excitement and enthusiasm that we, as an organization, feel is tremendous, but the anticipation from the community is palpable,” said Lampman. “We cannot wait to see this project completed and all the impactful programs it will help us bring to our area.”
Bumgarner added donors and prospective donors to the Tuckahoe STRONG campaign have been enthusiastic about the project and how the renovations will allow the Y to better serve the community.
“Conversations with donors always include surprise and appreciation for the multiple ways that the Y engages with families, children, and seniors, as well as the diversity of the Tuckahoe Y’s membership and program participants,” said Bumgarner. “Last year, the Tuckahoe Family YMCA provided more than $500,000 in financial assistance to approximately one-fourth of its members, ensuring financial resources are not a barrier to participation in Y programs.”
For other community rec centers considering similar renovations, Bumgarner advised to first make sure such an investment would move your mission and business forward. Also, consider how the renovation will serve the community, and look through the lens of diversity and inclusion.
The estimated completion time for the renovation is 12 to 15 months. Bumgarner said they hope to open their new doors toward the end of 2023 or early 2024. The facility will remain open during renovation.
Want more resources like this sent straight to your inbox each week? Sign up for a digital subscription here.
