By Fletcher Word
The Truth Reporter
Local city, state and federal officials held a ribbon cutting at the new Wayman Palmer YMCA on Monday, May 12, to celebrate the opening of the grand new facility in the heart of Toledo’s inner city. The new Y has been open for six weeks and already an additional booming membership shows that the new building is going to be a huge success with area residents.
“The kids in this neighborhood deserve all of the nice things that kids in any neighborhood deserve,” said Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz during his remarks before the ribbon cutting. The mayor pointed out a number of successes his administration had had during his almost eight years in office but stated that the construction of the new Wayman Palmer Y is the accomplishment he is most proud of.
“This is the best YMCA that can be built,” Kapszukiewicz added. Swimming pools, a splash pad, expanded meeting rooms and workout rooms, Toledo Public Schools Head Start classrooms, a day care center for student-parents, a computer/game room are among the many amenities that will to continue to bring in an expanded membership.
The project began in 2021with federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, as Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur noted. The overall price tag for the new building of about $31 million began with $19 million ARP Act monies, supplemented by $7 million in community development dollars and $5 million in federal tax credits, said Kaptur.
“The federal government makes a difference,” she said.
Rosalyn Clemens, the City of Toledo director of Housing and Community Development, is the person who put the project together and made it work even as the initial financial projections were insufficient to complete the building with all the services and amenities that city leaders desired for the neighborhood.
“This is probably the most impactful [project] I have ever done,” said Clemens. Clemens certainly had her work cut out for her. When the project was announced in August 2021, the price tag for the building was estimated at $21 million. During the construction phase, Clemens was determined to maintain the vision of the complete package of amenities and services in the original concept rather than cutting into that vision to stay within the $21 million budget. Her task therefore was to find additional funding.
She not only found that money but also has managed to put together an additional $1 million in annual funding to upgrade all of the city’s parks.
“We will continue to do the work [to fund] our underserved neighborhoods,” she said.
Also speaking at the ribbon cutting ceremony were State Senator Paula Hicks-Hudson and Councilwomen Vanice Williams and Cerssandra McPherson, all of whom have personal connections now or in the past to the Wayman Palmer Y.
“This is a full circle moment for me,” said Williams, who lived for many years in nearby Moody Manor.
The new YMCA is on track to meet its future financial goals. According to Clemens, the new facility needs 2200 memberships to break even financially. That would be a tremendous increase in the number of memberships the former building generated. According to YMCA officials, the old building averaged 500 memberships annually. In just six weeks after opening, the new Y already has 1600 memberships.