January 2026

I still remember the celebration when Next and the City of Birmingham announced the purchase of 400 E. Lincoln — the former YMCA building. It seems like yesterday, but that was back in 2023.

Next had been looking for a new facility for quite a while. Between our membership growth and the Birmingham Public Schools need to expand their preschool, the YMCA’s decision to sell their Birmingham location was serendipitous.

Birmingham seniors were excited, and filled with the anticipation of moving to a more suitable space where seniors can gather, find genuine friendship, engage in life-long learning opportunities and enjoy the simple comfort of belonging.

2023 started strong. The city commission unanimously backed every step of the relocation plan. First came the Lincoln building purchase. Then 69 percent of Birmingham voters approved the three-year senior millage to fund building improvements. Finally, the commission signed off on a Memo of Understanding outlining Next's occupancy. We hired architects, construction managers, and an owner's representative. We commissioned feasibility studies, ran environmental tests, and hired lawyers to guide us through mountains of legal documents.

Most of 2024 disappeared into exploring a shared building with Next and the YMCA. We examined every possible configuration, addressed parking headaches, distributed surveys, formed an ad hoc committee, and attended meeting after meeting.

Then early 2025 hit, and the commission pumped the brakes, putting the entire project on hold. The project barely surfaced again until August, when the commission formally voted to omit the necessary bond from November's ballot, citing rising costs and an uncertain economy.

But we are eternal optimists – and this is our year. We're ready to finalize arrangements with the city and move forward with real plans to turn the vision of a new space into reality.

Yes, the former YMCA building has sparked plenty of debate about its age and condition. But we've done this before. Midvale was also built in the 1950s, and Next transformed it into something warm and welcoming. Birmingham has a tradition of preserving buildings, choosing thoughtful improvements over wrecking balls. Just recently with the Baldwin Public Library and now with City Hall. That history matters.

Besides, we've always believed what happens inside a building matters more than any dated facade. I often think about the International Academy in Bloomfield — housed in the old Vaughan Elementary School, yet consistently ranked among Michigan's top public high schools. It's the teachers, curriculum, and culture that make it exceptional, not the building.

The same principle applies to Next. Despite operating in a 1950s building, membership and attendance continue to grow, survey results stay consistently positive and for almost 50 years, Next has been unwavering in our commitment to Birmingham seniors.

We're excited to make the former YMCA building our own. We don't need perfection on day one—just modest improvements to get started, with steady enhancements over time. We'll create a warm, welcoming space specifically designed for active adults while providing critical services for our most vulnerable neighbors.

We're patient, but we're also ready because Birmingham's seniors deserve this.

Cris Braun is Executive Director of Birmingham Next