One last reminder on a city home for Next

The long-running saga over how to redevelop the YMCA building, purchased as a new home for NEXT, the city's senior services organization, persists, with what is believed to be another discussion before the Birmingham City Commission in late July/early August to determine if they should put before voters a completely redesigned new building which would combine NEXT and the YMCA, with a price tag around $30-$32 million.

Once again, we remind Birmingham City Commissioners, staff and other city leaders to take a step back and remember why the city purchased the YMCA building in mid-2023, and then recollect that goal: It was to find and create a permanent home for the community's seniors, embodied in the non-profit Next.

From the beginning that city officials dealt with them, the YMCA, which was financially challenged, had determined it was leaving its longtime Birmingham location to move south to 11 Mile in Royal Oak. It was only with seller’s remorse – and a view of a possible new building – did the Y change its mind and decide that maybe they'd like back in and share space with the senior group. We don't believe that is in the best interest of Birmingham, its residents, its financial ledger, and especially its older population, which is growing exponentially, according to statisticians. We think the best recourse is to go back to the beginning and renovate the building for Next.

As a refresher course, two years ago, in June 2023, the city of Birmingham purchased the YMCA building and its land for the future home of Next, at 400 E. Lincoln, for $2 million. Next contributed $500,000 towards the purchase price, with Birmingham paying the remaining $1.5 million. A memorandum of understanding was agreed to by the city and Next.

The YMCA had wanted to remain for a short period of time at which point it would combine with the Royal Oak YMCA in a new building but that project fell apart due to financial concerns.

Residents resoundingly approved a .33-mill tax for three years to provide funding for building improvements to house Next.

The commission then hired building advisors and architects, who suggested a new building would be a better approach, rather than improving what already existed at the site. That's when the YMCA expressed an interest in remaining in Birmingham and wanted to be part of the new building project, all at no cost to their organization. Somehow, some city leaders thought this was a good idea and the plans morphed and grew, with the Y's space considerations dominating those of Next's. Not counting shared space in the new building, Next would be left with somewhere around 3,000 square feet, or less, as opposed to the 10,000 square feet it now has at the school building the group has occupied for many years. We also think that a mixed use building will mean that seniors coming to Next will have to navigate mixed age groups which is not a great situation.

In addition, special interests associated with a pool seem to have trampled over other needs and requirements. Yet, the pool has never been a priority or on a wish list from Next. It's also a massive liability waiting to happen, as well as a hole that someone will be throwing money into for decades to come. Close the pool and find another desirable and affordable activity, like pickleball courts, to take its place.

Also, do not fall prey to what we hear in recent weeks is one last effort by the YMCA to stay in Birmingham by hiring an architect to draw up plans to rehab the current building so the Y can remain here. Forget about it, to put it bluntly. The city needs to move ahead without the YMCA which can go two miles down the road to its facility in Royal Oak.

Go back to the beginning and remember what the buyer's agreement was and what the goal is: a permanent, comfortable, safe space for our 50-plus population. As we have said before, the voters have already decided when they agreed to tax themselves to fund the original plan for Next, which is what city leaders must return to immediately. Do not put the expanded building proposal on the ballot.

Lastly, the Next administration has supplied enough financial information to justify that the group is capable of holding up its end of the bargain on managing this building as its new home.

It’s time to thoughtfully move forward with careful and judicious renovations. Three million is a lot of money, and can do much more than all the necessary ADA-modifications.

Let’s get going on the home for Next.