Marion's YMCA tries to keep pace

MARION — Most city officials agree on one thing when it comes to the Marion YMCA — it needs a new facility.

The cramped building, located off 10th Avenue, was built in 1963 to serve the city's 12,000 residents. Now 52 years later, the 35,000-square-foot fitness facility can't accommodate the city's 36,000 people, and organizers want to build a new one that's almost three times larger to serve Marion and surrounding towns.

While organizers want to build the 89,000-square-foot YMCA on Tower Terrace Road, the anticipated center of the city 20 years from now, some City Council members are lambasting the idea, saying project developers shouldn't build a multimillion-dollar facility partially on a 100-year flood plain.

The idea for a new fitness facility sprouted from Imagine 8, a 2009 marketing campaign that asked the community for eight goals that would enhance the quality of life in Marion. It's estimated to cost $19.5 million, to be paid from private donations, grants and a $6.5 million commitment through the city. But the project's location needs council approval — the Tower Terrace Road extension and Winslow Road are city owned — and some council members aren't ready to give the go ahead.

'I'm totally against the project,' said Marion Mayor Snooks Bouska. 'We shouldn't be putting the Y out there.'

He'd rather build a new YMCA at its current location to avoid building on a flood plain.

Portions of the project, including the tennis courts, parking lot and part of one building, are proposed to sit on the 100-year flood plain, an area classified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency as having a 1 percent chance of flooding in any given year, said City Engineer Dan Whitlow.

The developer plans to build up the sides of Indian Creek to decrease the likelihood of flooding. Buildings in the flood plain would be built at a minimum of 1 foot above it, as required by federal law.

Construction is set to begin this spring with an opening in fall 2017, but it won't get much further without council approval.

While he agrees the Y needs updating, Bouska said a scaled-down version of the project should built on its current site.

The project as proposed would take up 13 acres. The current YMCA sits on 7 acres.

But Bouska won't have much of a say in where the future facility gets built. His term ends in November, and he's not seeking re-election.

The project will go before the council to approve land use, but the council could have up to two new members and a new mayor after Nov. 3.

At least one mayoral candidate, current council member Joe Spinks, sides with Bouska.

'I don't know why we're not looking at putting it out by the existing Y. I know it's not quite as much land, but that seems like that would be a much better place for it,' Spinks said.

Tower Terrace Road eventually will connect Interstate 380 to Highway 13, ultimately becoming what officials call a commercial corridor to attract development.

The proposed YMCA location would be adjacent to a phase of the Tower Terrace Road project that stretches from 10th Street to Indian Creek Road, and is estimated to cost about $1.5 million.

The YMCA project is in preliminary stages and just kicked of its fundraising campaign. Last week, Farmers State Bank announced a $500,000 contribution.

'What we've found is that our facility ... is not conducive to population growth,' said Bob Carlson, the Cedar Rapids Metro YMCA president and chief executive officer. 'It's just too small.'

The new Y plans for:

• A six-lane lap pool and a family pool.

• Four gymnasiums for local sports teams and tournaments.

• A regional tournament facility for basketball and volleyball

• An expansion of the Childwatch program, a program for children 11 and younger. The expansion will allow the YMCA to take in more kids while parents are on site for up to two hours and also have more features like an outdoor playground.

• A 450-square-foot library space, in partnership with the Marion Public Library.

• Space for more fitness and training equipment.

• Family locker rooms

• Two group fitness rooms.

• Community rooms.