New senior/recreation building will be built
By Mark H. Stowers
After two members of the Birmingham City Commission couldn’t make the city’s last regular monthly meeting, a special meeting was called for Monday, July 29, to decide the future of the senior/recreation center project for Next, and a decision was made to demolish and rebuild the Birmingham YMCA building purchased one year ago.
The commission had two options on the agenda, a new building option or a renovation option. After much discussion and input from the YMCA and Next representatives, a three-part motion was made and passed, 6-1.
Part one was to demolish and build new a new building. Part two, the three parties involved – the city, YMCA and Next – would meet, represented by counsel, and figure out a specific space sharing arrangement. The parties would also discuss a variety of partnership structures they would then bring back to city commission for approval.
City officials say they expect the YMCA to contribute commensurate with the square footage they would be utilizing in any partnership. So the third part of the approved motion provides that the city commission would begin the process of doing legal and financial due diligence on the partners that may involve hiring outside counsel or the city commission’s existing auditing firm to examine tax returns and financial statements and potential legal structures.
The city purchased the property a year ago to find a future home for Next, a non-profit organization since 1978 with a mission to enrich the lives of the 50+ age population of Birmingham, Bingham Farms, Beverly Hills, Franklin and the surrounding areas.
At that time, the plan was for the YMCA and Next to co-exist for the next three years in the building. This three-year transition period would allow time for the future planning, financing and necessary renovations to provide a permanent home for NEXT, and to allow for a continued presence of the YMCA. When NEXT moves in the building, it was expected the organization will occupy about 75 percent of the square footage while the YMCA will occupy the other 25 percent. However, the YMCA has indicated it is now interested in staying longer and utilizing more space.
The Ad Hoc Senior/Recreation Center Committee (SCC) on July 17 recommended to the city commission to completely rebuild rather than rehab the existing building. The SCC board voted to suggest demolishing the current building and construct a new facility with the $28 million budget that would cover construction and soft costs of the project. YMCA space would be included in that plan. The SCC was presented with several options which ranged from rehabbing the current building at an estimated cost of $19 million, including soft costs, to constructing a new building for as much as $31 million if a pool was included.
The three part motion this week was made by commissioner Clinton Baller and seconded by commissioner Andrew Haig. A 40-minute discussion by city residents took place before voting.
Commissioner Brad Host was the lone “no” vote, citing a proposed 2015 city bond for the library that in his words “failed miserably for the library. And yet here we are 10 years later, having spent nine and half million dollars versus $30 million that they wanted, with the debt service and everybody’s happy.”