Return to original Next plan; nix new vote

The city of Birmingham and its two-year effort to develop a community center is at a critical juncture. In simple terms, what started out many years ago as an effort to find a home for Birmingham’s senior services organization, Next, looked like it was solved in mid-2023, at a cost in the neighborhood of $3-5 million but has since blossomed into a $30-32 million project, to be paid off by taxpayers over 20-25 years, to house Next, a financially challenged YMCA and a community center of sorts, a vision that is now battered by rising costs from ill-defined tariff threats from the nation’s administration.

As background, Next, a non-profit offering support for older citizens for around 50 years, has used space at Midvale School in Birmingham provided by Birmingham Public Schools. The organization provides comprehensive services for mature adults, such as information, referrals, classes and activities, transportation and access to social, legal, health, housing, educational, emotional, nutritional and recreational help. The school district has other plans for Midvale School, leading the city to help Next find a permanent location for the city's over-50 population, which demographics indicate is rapidly growing. It has long been seen by the community leaders here as an essential service, one that completes the portfolio of amenities offered to local residents.

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.

When building advisors were first consulted about improvements at the E. Lincoln property it was suggested that a new building would be a better approach, rather than improving what already existed at the site. 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.

And that’s where this project went off the rails. The YMCA needs have seemed to dominate space considerations over the last year and the needs of Next seemed to be a lesser consideration. 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 they now have at the school building. 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 for elderly members.

Then there’s the likelihood that a new YMCA home will draw more members than today from a larger geographical area, adding further to space demands and pressure on any concepts of shared space in the new building, not to mention increased traffic and parking needs that could impact the surrounding neighborhood where the larger building will sit.

Meanwhile, special interests have continued to exert pressure through letters and emails to city commissioners to move ahead on this project. The first wave of lobbying came early on from those who insisted that a pool must be part of any project. And in the last week nearly two dozen emails – many with similar phrasing – were sent to commission members insisting that the issue be placed on the ballot to “let voters decide.”

Our position on this: 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.

Yes, serious amounts of money have been spent on the current project which in our estimation is unworkable and so far from the original plan that was put before voters. Like it or not, sometimes you have to cut your losses and start over.

Go back to the original plan. Spend the money to renovate the first floor of the building for Next, and worry about the uses and needs of the second floor and basement in coming years. Get rid of the pool, a liability waiting to happen. Let the YMCA members go four miles down the road to the Royal Oak facility. Focus exclusively on the new home for Next.

The city has already learned the value of a multiple stage approach as evidenced by how the Baldwin Library achieved its building goals. Several years ago the library planned a $21 million complete renovation, and Birmingham voters responded with a loud “NO.” The library got back to work with a reasonable, and much more creative, three-phase plan to renovate their spaces and now have a beautiful and user-friendly library.

A similar approach will work on the Next building, so let’s get going now.