By Christine Bryant
Staff Writer
A drawing showing the exterior view of the proposed YMCA facility in Reynoldsburg.
As the city continues to hold town hall meetings on constructing a YMCA facility in Reynoldsburg, organizers are gearing up for a campaign to get the votes needed to make the proposal a reality.
A packed crowd gathered at Reynoldsburg City Hall Jan. 18 to ask questions and hear updates about the proposed YMCA facility that would be constructed at the old pool site off Davidson Drive near the Senior Center. For construction to move forward, however, residents must approve a 1-percent income tax increase that is expected to appear on the May ballot.
Funds from the income tax increase, which would only affect individuals who work in Reynoldsburg or generate other income in the city such as rental properties, also will enable the city to make improvements to its streets, parks and police department.
The income tax hike, which would go from 1.5 to 2.5 percent, is expected to generate an additional $6.5 million for the city each year, with $1.5 million per year going toward the construction of the building and $5 million per year going toward city services.
Dan Havener, city development director, said the city would fund the construction of the building, while the YMCA of Central Ohio would incur the costs of maintaining and managing the facility, as well as any repairs that would be necessary over time as the facility ages.
Though the income tax increase would fund most of the construction costs, Havener said the city will look for partners and philanthropic opportunities to help offset those costs.
Brian Kridler, chief operating officer for the YMCA of Central Ohio, said the addition of a YMCA facility in Reynoldsburg would bring about 200 full-time and part-time jobs to the city year-round, and about 250 during the summer.
Current plans call for the proposed facility to include a large indoor swimming pool with four swimming lanes, an outdoor swimming pool with six lanes, an outdoor splash zone, an indoor track for walking and running, a fitness center for cardio and muscle conditioning, a full gymnasium, and three studios for community classes like yoga, cycling, kickboxing and dance.
Day care for kids while parents are on site also is included in the current plans, as is a learning wing where all ages will learn about becoming a chef, artist, musician or engineer.
Though membership fees have not been finalized, Kridler said for a family, which consists of two adults and their children, Reynoldsburg residents can expect to pay somewhere around $55-65 a month. Individual memberships also will be available, as will financial assistance to lower-income families.
Membership fees for a particular YMCA typically are based on the average median income of a family in the community where the facility is located. Families in communities with lower average median incomes pay $55 a month, while those with the highest median incomes pay $80 a month, Kridler said.
Marshall Spalding, a city council member and one of the co-chairs for the Citizens to Improve Quality of Life in Reynoldsburg, said the group is setting up a Facebook page and providing brochures to residents so they can see the site plans and learn more about the initiative.
The group also is building a website, MakeReynoldsburgStronger.com, which should be available at the end of January.
Spalding said there are several things residents can do to contribute to the campaign, including providing donations to help offset the campaign costs and assisting in spreading information about the proposed center and income tax increase.
“First thing is, talk to your neighbors, talk to your friends,” he said. “Talk to the people you care about.”
The next town hall meeting will be April 12, with a time and location yet to be determined.
