YMCA selects local design team for indoor pool, outlines plans for facility
By Chris Fortune
Local contractors will lead the build of a new aquatic facility at the YMCA of St. Joseph.
The YMCA attends monthly meetings with the city to provide progress updates on its indoor pool project, and on Tuesday, they informed the city that they selected Al J. Mueller Construction to lead the design-build team with Ellison-Auxier Architects designing the facility.
“I’m hoping within 30 to 60 days that we will have some renderings that we’ll be able to determine what direction we’re going to go, where the facility is going to go exactly, and then show that to the public,” St. Joseph YMCA CEO Tammy Killin said.
Killin said the YMCA at 3601 N. Village Dr. was designed with the ability to add on to the building.
“A couple options would be on the south side of our building or the east side of our building,” she said.
Some residents questioned on social media whether the pool would only be open to YMCA membership holders.
“This project is open to the public, meaning you do not have to have a membership to the Y to enjoy this facility,” Killin said. “So you would be able to purchase a day pass or family pass, and we’ll be as affordable as we can be.”
A day pass could benefit St. Joseph residents like Carson Welsh, who said the city could use more outlets for swimming.
“I think it would be pretty beneficial,” he said. “I kind of wanted one for a while now because I used to steal my friend’s membership to go (to an indoor pool).”
The pool project is estimated to cost $14 million, and the YMCA has secured $9.3 million in funds so far. Buchanan County contributed $500,000 in August, and the city stated its intention to contribute up to $7 million if the YMCA can secure the rest of the funding by the end of 2024.
“We are definitely doing our due diligence to meet that time frame,” Killin said. “It is a tight time frame, and it’s something that we are very mindful of.”
Construction on the 35,000-square-foot facility could take about 18 months, and YMCA officials hope to start the project in 2025. It will house a 50-meter pool, in addition to another wellness section for the public.
“There will be a portion of it that would be for a zero entry for the younger kiddos and their families, and then we’ll have a rehabilitation portion of that wellness pool,” Killin said.
Swimming lessons will also be included as part of a four-part plan to address water safety, wellness, recreational needs, and competitive swimming.
Killin anticipates future partnerships with local schools that could use the Olympic-sized swimming pool.
“We see that we could be a great benefit for our school districts around the area with being able to offer competitive swimming,” she said. “We hope that they can enjoy this facility as a place to do practices as well as have their meets.”
