After years of waiting and worrying, the dream of building a new flagship facility for the Family YMCA of Marion & Polk Counties finally came true.
Organization and community leaders gathered Tuesday for a ribbon cutting and dedication celebration outside the new $30.5 million, 51,000-square-foot building near the heart of downtown Salem.
The Withnell Family YMCA, named after longtime organization and community supporters Dick and Gayle Withnell, is about 90% complete. It won't officially be open for business until later this month or early October.
But an estimated 500 people got a preview after the ceremony with self-guided tours of the three-story building.
The first floor has a four-lane, 86-degree, warm-water pool, a regulation-size gym and an early childhood development wing. A wall of windows opens the pool to the commons area, where parents will eventually be able to sit by a fireplace and watch children's swim lessons.
A wall next to the welcome desk features 27 black and white photographs outlining the history of the YMCA, which has been serving Salem-area residents since 1892 and at this location on the corner of Court and Cottage streets NE since 1926. Monitors will be added to the wall to stream more images from the past, and the two cornerstones from the old facility will be attached to the base.
A grand staircase connects the three floors with multiple skylights visible in the roof. Sweeping vistas can be seen from every floor of the building. The open design and use of glass walls make it feel like everything is connected, almost like one big family room.
The second floor features a wellness center and is furnished with state-of-the-art and accessible cardio and weight-lifting equipment. The machines still have protective covers on their screens. A bank of floor-to-ceiling windows surrounds the equipment, giving users a panoramic view of the State Capitol and the downtown skyline.
The third floor features a community meeting room — named the Capitol Room in honor of Sen. Peter Courtney who helped secure funding from the Oregon Legislature — a rooftop terrace awaiting artificial turf, and a running track with a lighted canopy cover. The track is a throwback to a treasured asset in the old building. Ten times around the new rooftop track is a mile.
Natural light spills in from just about every corner of the building, a stark contrast to the Y's previous home, which was demolished in 2019. The nearly century-old building was bleeding the organization dry, costing more than $550,000 a year to maintain.
Veterans' housing:YMCA breaks ground on housing for vets
It wasn't that long ago when board members feared the YMCA had a 50-50 chance of surviving — at best.
Fast forward to Tuesday, and the organization proudly christened its new home debt-free.
That fete was possible thanks to scaled-back plans, $12 million in lottery funds from the Legislature, a $7 million loan from the Faith Foundation, and a $1 million matching donation from the philanthropy division of Mountain West Investment Corporation.
"I really did not think this would happen," said Courtney, whose first home when he came to Salem in 1969 was Room 206 of the YMCA. "We did not have the money. We did not have the organization."
Raising the other $10 million required a herculean effort from YMCA leaders, including Dick Withnell. He serves on the board and as the fundraising chair led the final push on the campaign.
"One person did not do this," Withnell told the crowd. "Many of you did: Peter Courtney, Dick Faith, Larry Tokarski, the Eppings, Bud and Selma Pierce, the Frerers, Dan Moore, Chuck Hudkins, Chuck Adams and John Hawkins, to name just a few."
Another key player in being able to finally build a new flagship facility was Sam Carroll, the previous CEO. He took over in 2014 and had to make difficult decisions to keep the organization afloat, including staff cuts. But at the same time, he dared to promote the idea of a new facility, which his predecessors had tried and failed to do multiple times.
Carroll rebuilt relationships in the community and faith in the organization, helped secure initial funding, then handpicked Tim Sinatra as his successor and bowed out of the spotlight. He was there Tuesday among the many invited to participate in the ribbon cutting.
"I don't want to get choked up," Carroll said standing inside the building entrance before the ceremony, "but walking up and seeing this instead of the other one ... it's just overwhelming."
Sinatra, the current CEO, called it a "momentous and long-awaited occasion" when he welcomed the crowd seated in chairs lining the parking lot between the north end of the new building and the IKE Box.
The faint echo of hammers and nail guns could be heard from across the street, where the Y is building a 34-unit apartment complex called Courtney Place for veterans.
"To each of you who helped make this day, this building and this legacy a reality, thank you," Sinatra said.
Membership to the new Y is being billed online as "more than a gym." Sinatra has preached since the beginning it will be a place for community wellbeing and connectedness.
Monthly membership fees are: $15 for teens ages 13-17; $40 for senior adults aged 65+; $55 for a senior couple; $50 for adults ages 18-64; $65 for an adult couple; and $80 for a family household of two adults and dependent children.
Capi Lynn is the Statesman Journal’s news columnist. Send comments, questions and tips to her at clynn@statesmanjournal.com or 503-399-6710. Follow her work on Twitter @CapiLynn and Facebook @CapiLynnSJ.