PERU – The Miami County YMCA has raised nearly half of its major gift donations to build a new $12.4 million facility after the Miami County Council Tuesday pledged $500,000 to the project.
Council members unanimously approved appropriating $100,000 a year for the next five years to fund the construction of the 69,000-square-foot facility. The money will come out of the county’s economic development fund.
Mark Demchak, executive director of the Y, said they have now raised $4.2 million for the project after Tuesday’s vote.
“I think to get a 7-0 vote is reflective of how supportive the council is of the Y and the Y project,” he said. “It’s a big pat on the back, and it’s a good sign for the rest of our fundraising.”
The money raised so far has been pledged by four major donors, including the City of Peru, which has also approved $500,000.
Demchak said construction of the facility will begin about six months after around 80 percent of the funding has been secured from through major donations.
Once the building is complete, it will have a state-of-the-art fitness center, a multi-use pool, an elevated walking track and child care and preschool areas.
Demchak said he anticipates the new facility will double the number of visits to the Y from 60,000 a year to 120,000, and that’s good news for the community.
“That means double the impact on health and wellness, and double the impact on youth development,” he said. “That’s the exciting thing for the community.”
He said a new facility will also be an economic boon for Peru.
“If you put 120,000 visits anywhere, businesses are going to want to be next to that,” Demchak said.
The proposed site for the building is approximately 10 acres of farm ground located behind Walgreens on North Broadway.
The YMCA Board of Directors first committed to replacing the current 55-year-old downtown facility with a new building in 2012. Since then, the board completed a needs assessment, a feasibility study and concept design.