After another delay in progress, Ridgefield city staff and the YMCA of Columbia-Willamette have developed a plan to bring a community and recreation center to residents by summer 2026.
During a March 28 workshop, City Manager Steve Stuart spoke about the updated plans with stakeholders, including the City Council and Tyler Wright, the YMCA of Columbia-Willamette CEO.
Building and design plans for the YMCA have changed significantly since 2022. Wright said the organization can no longer build the entire facility as initially intended because of increased costs and lower membership post-COVID 19.
“So what we’re seeing across the country, especially for organizations our size… is that we’re not seeing an equal 100 percent return of our members,” Wright said. “We’re really beginning to budget more towards 60 percent, so that’s had a dramatic effect on our plans.”
Instead, the new plan is for the YMCA to build and operate everything but a community center, which would be the City of Ridgefield’s responsibility.
“Instead of being a single structure, we (can) actually design it to be two legally separate but functionally seamless, for the purposes of the public, centers — a community center and a recreation center,” Stuart said.
Under their current plans, Ridgefield, YMCA and Bluerock Ventures, a private developer for the facilities, will enter a memorandum of understanding for the project.
Once complete, the project will feature an 8,500-square-foot single-story community center the city will purchase and operate. That is expected to cost the City of Ridgefield $10 million.
“[It] fills a need that was created when the former Community Center transitioned into our new and amazing expanded library, but leaving a gap, leaving a hole in our system that our community has missed,” Stuart said, adding the community will be asked to comment what it would like the new center to include.
The YMCA’s portion of the project would entail a two-story building, estimated at 34,500 square feet, that would include amenities initially presented: a full-sized gym, a leisure and lap pool, two fitness rooms and an elevated track above the gym. YMCA would pay $20 million for its portion of the project.
After an MOU between the parties is signed, the City will begin the permitting process and begin a capital campaign to obtain the $10 million to purchase the facility from Blue Rock. Stuart told the council that the United States Department of Agriculture has funding for community center projects through loan and grant programs.
Under the current timeline, construction for both facilities will break ground in spring 2025 and take 16 months to build, for a tentative opening in summer 2026.
City Councilors including Jeniffer Lindsay expressed excitement for the project, with some uneasiness because of the previous delay.
“My only concern is I feel a little bit like Groundhog Day,” Lindsay said. “We’ve had this conversation before, and I want to make sure that in two years, we’re not having this conversation again.”
Wright assured the council about the current plan and YMCA’s obligations.
“I came here to apologize, not only to the community and the council itself, but to our staff,” Wright said. “...Do I think this is a very realistic plan? Yes, I believe that we can get the $20 million, and we’re excited about that.”
The building site is located on North 50th Place and will be north of Pioneer Street.
