Downtown YMCA

[Cyclonefan]

I heard somewhere that they were going to start renevating the ugly YMCA building downtown but I don't know for sure. Does anybody know for sure?

[Ingersoll1978]

There was some talk about that happening, but nothing has been made "official" that I'm aware of. I believe this was discussed in the Riverwalk thread.

[4th&Court]

To be honest, that pinkish brick could be integrated into a more modern and clean look. A total remodel wouldn't be necessary. I just hope they don't do some grotesque tragedy with metal and odd colors that will be a totally outdated eyesore in 20-30 years.

[Des Moineser]

Like the RDG building. A tragedy.

[wmjindsm]

I wish someone would do to the downtown Y the same thing they did to the YMCA in San Francisco. The athletic part stayed but the residence was converted into a nice hotel, the Harbor Court Hotel.

http://www.harborcourthotel.com/

[Ingersoll1978]

If they are going to convert it to a new hotel, I'd rather see them start new.

The YMCA doesn't fit well with it's surroundings. If they renovate, a glass fascade placed on the river side (similiar to the Federal Building renovation) would make it look 10x better.

[dogbo]

If they are going to convert it to a new hotel, I'd rather see them start new.

The YMCA doesn't fit well with it's surroundings. If they renovate, a glass fascade placed on the river side (similiar to the Federal Building renovation) would make it look 10x better.

I havent't heard any talk of converting it to a new hotel????

[Ingersoll1978]

It was a suggestion dogbo.

[dogbo]

gotcha! Cool idea.

[4th&Court]

I agree with the glass idea.

Also, this has got to be one of the only YMCA's left with a "residence." Years ago, they all had it. It was one of their primary services. Today, nearly none have a residence and I believe that's a good thing. It was once a place for people between jobs and going through divorces to stay for a week or two because they lacked much choice. Now, the outside of our downtown Y is CRAWLING with the same crowd that hangs out in bus terminals on Walnut and in front of QT's all around the metro 24/7. It needs to go.

[Cyclonefan]

i agree. just driving by you can see all the otherwise homless outside smoking and all, its a discrace to dm to have a building that ugly. i say good ridence to it if it leaves.

[4th&Court]

I do want them to stay in the same place location though! I live 2 blocks away and I'm a member of the YMCA, just haven't had the time/motivation yet.

[Ingersoll1978]

I do want them to stay in the same place location though! I live 2 blocks away and I'm a member of the YMCA, just haven't had the time/motivation yet.

GYM F/X opens in September...

[4th&Court]

Yes, but where is my K in the A to get me started!?

[Better Life dude]

Time to dig up this thread.

Buried in today's Register is some very interesting news about the relocation of the mens' residence from the Riverfornt YMCA to the east side of Des Moines. You could further speculate that when this happens, maybe the next step would be for a new family YMCA building somewhere downtown. That would be great!

YMCA unveils plans for new housing facility

Plans for a new YMCA-sponsored transitional housing facility and clinic on Dean Avenue were unveiled to members of the Fairground Neighborhood Association on Tuesday.

The 120-room facility would replace the YMCA's current 188-room residence located at the downtown Riverfront YMCA, which officials say must move to ensure the overall well-being of the men who live there as the Principal Riverwalk nearby comes closer to completion.

"The population we serve in that facility is not conducive to what is happening downtown," said Vernon Delpesce, president of the YMCA of Greater Des Moines. "It is not a good thing for our men to be in a situation that brings in large crowds."

Plans for the new 50,000-plus-square-foot, multiple-building facility that YMCA officials hope to build on the east side have yet to be shown to any city officials and will not go before the Plan and Zoning Commission until November.

The housing would sit on 5acres on the south side of Dean Avenue near East 28th Street, two blocks west of Willard Elementary School.

Purchase of the property, now owned by Ruth Ann and Andy Holt, is being pursued by the YMCA by way of tax credit financing.

By law, that means that after the initial 10-year tax abatement on the property ends, it will remain on the tax rolls even though the YMCA is a not-for-profit entity.

The project would cost roughly $6 million.

Register link:
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007709130401

[spacebetween]

Guess I will be the guy who says it: This is great for downtown DSM.

I am all for the opportunity the YMCA provides, but Mr. Delpesce is completely correct.

[NOG's Wife]

I agree that it's great for downtown, but question their choice in placing the new facility only two blocks from an elementary school.

[speeder]

I agree that it's great for downtown, but question their choice in placing the new facility only two blocks from an elementary school.

The biggest threat IMO would be sex offenders... does the current state law affect those offenders who do or would stay at the YMCA? If so, then the risk would be considerably diminished.?

[DMRyan]

Great, another extremely controversial project in Des Moines! As if the Dahl's on Ingersoll, Rice School site, and Beaverdale Hy-Vee weren't enough, we can pile this on to months of public discussion before any rezoning could move forward.

Treading on sensitive ground here, but it is a plus for downtown to relocate this facility. I'm not so sure the Fairgrounds Neighborhood will be quite as enthusiastic. Maybe the YMCA could build in an East Des Moines YMCA into this location, adding a positive tangent to this development in their neighborhood. At least it helps to spread out the concentration of homeless shelters and transitional housing located in or very near to the core. There will be tons of issues to work through with this, one of which NOG's Wife brought up with it's location so close to Willard Elementary School.

If successful, this could pave the way for more than a new downtown YMCA, with the old downtown Y sitting on some prime riverfront land.

[Better Life dude]

Doesn't anyone realize the current housing for men at the Riverfront YMCA is alreay only about three blocks from the downtown school on Grand Ave? I don't hear anyone complaining about how close they are. Not that I'm saying thats ok, just pointing up a fact.

[Ingersoll1978]

The biggest threat IMO would be sex offenders... does the current state law affect those offenders who do or would stay at the YMCA? If so, then the risk would be considerably diminished.?

I would assume the law would apply to those staying at the YMCA. According to the Iowa Sex Offender Registery, there are no sex offenders at that address. The closest are two at the Randolf and one at the Elliott Apartments. The area has cleared sex offenders out it looks like.

[speeder]

Doesn't anyone realize the current housing for men at the Riverfront YMCA is already only about three blocks from the downtown school on Grand Ave? I don't hear anyone complaining about how close they are. Not that I'm saying thats ok, just pointing up a fact.

I did, that is why I brought up the sex offender thing. My thinking was that if that law applies to YMCA residents, then they probably wouldn't be allowed to stay at the current YMCA (because of the downtown school and nearby parks... not to mention the kids that use the YMCA) so moving near another school will only further facilitate the current situation, which is good for the guys at the YMCA and kids.

If they YMCA moves can I go ahead and move forward on my marina(inland)/hotels/condo proposal for the site

[NOG's Wife]

Doesn't anyone realize the current housing for men at the Riverfront YMCA is alreay only about three blocks from the downtown school on Grand Ave? I don't hear anyone complaining about how close they are. Not that I'm saying thats ok, just pointing up a fact.

I do realize that, but (and I could be way off base) are there really that many children who actually have to pass the YMCA when walking to the downtown school? Are there even very many kids who walk to the downtown school at all? I assume most of the kids either take the bus or get dropped off by their parents. It's my guess that there are probably a lot more kids who walk to Willard and would have to pass by the new YMCA facility.

As a grown adult, I don't even like passing the downtown YMCA when I go for walks/runs over my lunch hour...especially if I'm by myself. I can only begin to imagine the anxiety I'd have as a child walking to school every day and being heckled/gawked at by the men.

[Better Life dude]

Here's an update on the story from the Register:

YMCA housing proposal unveiled
Fairground Neighborhood Association gets a look at the transitional, multiple-building plans for Dean Avenue.

By TODD ERZEN
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
September 14, 2007

Members of the Fairground Neighborhood Association got the first glimpse Tuesday at plans for a new YMCA-sponsored transitional housing facility and clinic on Dean Avenue.

The 120-room facility would replace the YMCA's current 188-room residence at the Downtown Riverfront YMCA, which officials say must move to ensure the overall well-being of the men who live there as the nearby Principal Riverwalk gets closer to completion.

"The population we serve in that facility is not conducive to what is happening downtown," said Vernon Delpesce, president of the YMCA of Greater Des Moines. "It is not a good thing for our men to be in a situation that brings in large crowds."

The new 50,000-plus-square-foot, multiple-building facility YMCA officials hope to build on the east side has yet to be shown to any city officials and will not go before the Plan and Zoning Commission until November. It would sit on 5.5 acres on the south side of Dean Avenue near East 28th Street, two blocks to the west of Willard Elementary School.

The primary housing facility would set back from the street 120 feet and a large community park would front the property. On the western edge of the site, between eight and 10 small-family cottages would be built to house families in need. A medical clinic and office space would be on the opposite end of the complex.

Delpesce made clear that the facility "is not a homeless shelter" and that it caters to people who simply need some extra help getting back on their feet after a tough time.

"Everybody sitting in this room is one bad break or one bad decision from ending up there," Delpesce told the Fairground-area residents assembled Tuesday night.

Delpesce said 42 percent of the men who stay at the Riverfront facility are on some kind of prescription medication, with mental health issues the primary diagnosis. Broadlawns Medical Center now handles the medical needs of the men living at the YMCA, but the new clinic would treat the residents on site as well as provide an option for the general public.

"The clinic would be open to the whole community," Delpesce said.

Twenty-five of the dorm-style transitional housing rooms would be dedicated to serving men leaving federal Veterans Administration services. The remainder of those living there would be extensively screened and no sex offenders would be allowed. An on-site Breathalyzer would ensure that a no-drinking policy is enforced.

As for the front porch-style smokers that can often be seen at the Riverfront complex, Delpesce said that activity would be moved exclusively to a community yard behind the new facility near railroad tracks that abut the property.

Dawn Jorgensen, president of the Fairgrounds neighborhood, was given a tour of the Riverfront facility and found that many of the worries she had about the facility moving to her neighborhood were put to rest.

"There aren't a lot of men just sitting around during the day," she said. "They are out working."

With the addition of the clinic, park and possibly a workout room for the community, Jorgensen said the YMCA is to be commended for how it has reached out to her part of the community.

"They are really trying to make this work for everybody," she said. "The facility (design) looks much nicer than I expected."

The sale of the Dean Avenue property, owned by Ruth Ann and Andy Holt, is being pursued by the YMCA by way of tax credit financing. By law, that means that after a 10-year tax abatement on the property it will remain on the tax rolls even though the YMCA is a not-for-profit entity.

The completed project would cost roughly $6 million. The land it would be on is currently zoned as heavy industrial and has already been improved by an environmental cleanup effort, officials said.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070914/NEWS/709140315/1028/JS09

[WesternIaGuy]

I thought the Y was going to put on a glass facade? at least that was the talk when they started the Riverwalk Project. Am glad to see how strick they are with drinking and sex offenders.

[speeder]

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070926/NEWS/709260369/1001/RSS01

YMCA to revamp riverfront facility

REGISTER STAFF WRITER

September 26, 2007

The 50-year-old Riverfront YMCA in downtown Des Moines might be replaced with street-level restaurants, shops and a hotel that would include the nonprofit organization's fitness center, city leaders said Tuesday.

YMCA of Greater Des Moines representatives said they will work with Ladco Development Inc. of West Des Moines to transform the property at 101 Locust St.

YMCA officials said they want to retain elements of the building but move a 188-room transitional housing facility for men to an area on Dean Avenue near Willard Elementary School and the Iowa State Fairgrounds.

"The YMCA is going to stay at 101 Locust," said Jackie Feddersen Matt, spokeswoman for the YMCA. "We are looking at a lot of options right now to figure out what we're going to do with an aging facility."

The riverfront building has an old heating and cooling system; other updates are needed, too, she said.

A projected dollar amount for the development was not announced. No plans have been drawn up. Ladco officials declined to comment Tuesday. There has been no discussion thus far of whether public money will be part of the financing plan.

City Councilwoman Christine Hensley, whose ward includes much of downtown, welcomed the proposal.

"When you look at the ongoing plans and everything else we have planned for the riverfront, that would make a wonderful addition," she said.

City Manager Rick Clark and other city officials said commercial development at the site is a better fit for the city's plan for the riverfront and would put money in the city's coffers.

The YMCA owns about two acres with a taxable value of about $17.2 million. A charitable exemption means taxes are paid on $89,700 of the value.

The site is in the heart of the area where the Principal Riverwalk project is being developed. That entertainment and recreation project is scheduled to be completed in late 2010.

"I think a hotel fits in nicely with riverfront development," said Matt Anderson, economic development administrator for the city. He said that although city leaders have not settled on "any specific type of development on the riverwalk, we have assumed it would be market-driven."

Anderson said developers have proposed a "boutique" hotel that would be smaller than the full-service, convention-style hotel under debate for a spot near the Iowa Events Center. Those plans are also in the early stages.

Most new hotels in recent years have been built in the suburbs.

Downtown Des Moines has about 1,574 hotel rooms, a number that has not grown since 2000. Occupancy rates at downtown hotels have ranged from about 55 percent to about 64 percent during the past seven years.

Anderson said he has not been given a timeline for the YMCA project.

Clark said the city will want to have influence on two issues:

- The project's design, because it is near the historic former library building and City Hall.

- Relocation of the transitional housing. Clark said he wants the housing facility to survive any redevelopment.

YMCA officials said that as the riverwalk moved closer to completion, the housing needed to be moved to ensure the well-being of some of the men who live there.

"The population we serve in that facility is not conducive to what is happening downtown," Vernon Delpesce, president of the YMCA of Greater Des Moines, said at a neighborhood meeting earlier this month. "It is not a good thing for our men to be in a situation that brings in large crowds."

Reporter Melissa Walker can be reached at (515) 284-8451 or [email protected]

[Better Life dude]

That's great news.

[DMRyan]

Sounds like just what the doctor ordered for this site. Tear this baby down!

The next phase of downtown development is starting to ramp up nicely.

[hawk61401]

This is just plain crazy. The YMCA owns two acres of prime, downtown riverfront property with a tax value of 17.2 million but only pays taxes on $89,700 of the value. The YMCA is an excellent organization and excellent cause but it shouldn't be located on some of the highest valued land in Polk County.

We wouldn't allow a mega church to demolish the Ruan Center and replace it with a tax exempt church. This makes about as much sense in regards to the Y.

More about tax exempt property in Des Moines:

http://www.ncna.org/index.cfm?fuseactio ... 1&nodeID=1

[NOG's Wife]

I know this is the least of anyone's worries at this point, but I hope if they do tear it down, they find a way to somehow preserve the mosaic that's on the building. Although, the way people talk about the YMCA, I'm probably the only one who likes it...