Birmingham finalizes lease agreement for Next

By Grace Lovins

Marking the finale to the years-long saga to find a home for Next senior services, Birmingham City Commissioners approved a 30-year lease agreement between the city and Next during the Monday, February 23, meeting for the former YMCA building located at 400 E. Lincoln.

The city began searching for a new permanent home for Next several years ago after the organization was informed they would no longer be able to rent Midvale School they were currently using from Birmingham Public Schools. Next will need to be out of the facility by May 2027.

In 2023, Birmingham purchased the building at 400 E Lincoln, the former location of the Birmingham YMCA, with the intention that it would serve as the new permanent location for Next to provide services to senior residents of Birmingham and neighboring communities.

The city spent months working with the YMCA and Next to figure out a solution that would allow the YMCA to remain in Birmingham after they expressed interest in staying. After the commission decided not to follow through with the construction of a new facility at the site, the YMCA made the decision to continue with their plan of relocating to trhe Royal Oak YMCA.

City attorney Mary Kucharek reiterated that the purpose of the lease is to give Next a permanent home, and that the 30-year time frame incentivizes the organization and its donors to invest their funds into a city-owned asset. She also noted there are clauses in the agreement that allow the city to bring the agreement back to the commission if Next does not continues the services and programs that they are known for currently.

Kucharek disclosed that commissioners received a copy of the lease agreement just under two weeks prior to Monday’s meeting, providing feedback before coming before the commission during an official meeting. Several commissioners said they had no issues when it came to the lease timeframe and termination clauses.

Commissioners Bill Kolb and Brad Host commented that they were not in favor of the 30-year time frame. Both said that a 10-year lease was more appropriate, Host offering that the lease could then be renewed in five-year increments. Executive director of Next, Cris Braun, argued that longer leases aren’t unusual for service organizations, comparing the agreement to the Art Center’s 50-year lease agreement.

Ultimately, the commission voted 4-2 to approve the lease agreement, with commissioners Host and Kolb voting against the motion. Mayor pro tem Anthony Long was absent from the meeting.

After the final vote, mayor Clinton Baller said that he, the city attorney, city manager’s office and representatives from the YMCA have met to discuss potential ways the YMCA can still be involved in the city. He said there is no guarantee that they will be able to figure out a solution but they are continuing discussions and are hopeful.