WHEELING — The Wheeling YMCA broke ground Monday morning on a long-awaited expansion project that will remodel the lobby and entrance, improve locker rooms and childcare facilities, and expand fitness spaces.
Construction on the building, which is the third and final phase of the $7 million Capital Campaign, is set to last until late 2025. The demand for the expansion has been growing, with the YMCA citing all-time membership highs, increased need for childcare programs, and rising popularity of group fitness classes.
The YMCA sees an influx of people using the spaces every day of the week and has a waitlist dozens long each summer of children wanting to take part in camps and programs.
More space and improved facilities will help accommodate this, YMCA Board President Jamie Bordas said.
An all-purpose room will create a space for aerobics and yoga classes in addition to other activities. Gym resources such as weights will be moved into the new second-floor space, allowing more room for programming.
The building on Lounez Avenue was built in 1974 and has not seen significant renovations in decades. Though the location moved from its original building downtown, the Wheeling YMCA organization is older than West Virginia itself and has been a prominent fixture of the community ever since its founding in 1844.
Wheeling-based architect firm The Mills Group was tasked with overseeing the design of the expansion, while the STONEMILE group and Panhandle Cleaning and Restoration will provide the labor.
Chris Clark, the lead architect on the project, said the designs are focused on bringing some “life and vitality” to the space while working on the functional additions. This will include a lot of “fresh paint” and child-focused graphics on the walls.
“Adding on the second edition so that we can move some of the programs upstairs allows us to expand some of the programs downstairs and kind of give things a fresh facelift as well as making (the YMCA) more adaptable to their programming,” Clark said.
The new spaces were initially supposed to be added in the early 2000s, he said.
“It’s been a long time coming so we’re excited to get things up and going,” Clark said. “We have our pre-construction meeting (today) and are trying to get everybody mobilized.”
At the ceremony, Bordas reflected on his own time playing basketball with other kids of all ages at the YMCA growing up. He said he used to bring a dime in his pocket in case he needed to call his dad on the payphone out front.
Though times have changed, the Y remains an important place for growth and community for local kids, he emphasized.
“This continues to be a place where when kids are here they are safe, they are doing good productive things and learning how to be productive members of our society,” Bordas said.
Bordas emphasized that contributions from the community have been essential in making this project happen.
The project has received an array of donations and support, including from lead financier Belmont County Savings Bank and fundraising events such as the Light of the Valley Luncheon in August, which raised over $60,000 for the YMCA.
The Y is still accepting donations for this project that can be made on the Wheeling YMCA website, wheelingymca.org.
