YMCA works to add branch on North Side

North Spokane residents soon may not have to envy their Valley friends who can race to the Spokane Valley YMCA faster than Don Kardong gets up Doomsday Hill.

A similar state-of-the-art Y could be coming to the North Side within the next three years. Land has been purchased for a Family YMCA in north Spokane, questionnaires are being circulated and a fund-raising campaign is tentatively set to begin next year, said Rig Riggins, president and CEO of the YMCA of the Inland Northwest.

In January, the nonprofit organization purchased 16 acres along Newport Highway at Nevada Street. The property is part of a 40-acre site being developed for retail use by Pine Water Plaza LLC. The retail portion is being developed by Dick Vandervert of Vandervert Construction of Spokane and Dave Nelson, owner of the Spokane construction company Land Expressions LLC. The Nelson family owned the property for 43 years.

The Y’s property is behind the Pine Water Plaza development.

“The Y owns the land with the clear intent of developing it after the front part is developed,” Riggins said.

Vandervert said the infrastructure work on the entire property will be completed by the end of the year. Construction of a 15,000-square-foot strip mall is planned.

Wheatland Bank is set to begin construction in early 2005. Frank’s Diner also plans to open a restaurant.

Vandervert said two big box stores are showing interest. There’s also the chance a 12-screen movie theater will be built.

“The Y will do fantastic there. There are a lot of people who drive to the Valley to use it now,” Vandervert added. “It will fill up immediately.”

During the initial stage of the Y’s planning, Riggins said, the organization’s board took a close look at the area served by the 40-year-old downtown Y, 507 N. Howard St., and the 4 1/2 -year-old Valley Y, 2421 N. Discovery Place, which opened in April 2000.

Riggins said residents on the far north side of Spokane County, such as in Colbert or Deer Park, live more than 15 minutes from either Y.

The projected North Side Y site is within 15 minutes of more than 140,000 residents. It also is in one of Spokane’s fastest growing and economically diverse neighborhoods.

Riggins said the goal is for everyone in Spokane County to be no more than a 15-minute drive away from a Y.

Riggins said cards have been mailed to residents in the area requesting support for a YMCA in north Spokane. In six months, 1,200 residents have returned cards backing the project and requesting future newsletters. Riggins’ goal is to get 2,500 families to express support.

The timetable also calls for a fund-raiser to begin in about a year, Riggins said.

If all goes as planned, building would start in the last quarter of 2007. It would take about a year to complete.

The Spokane Valley Y at Mirabeau Point opened in April 2000 at the cost of $5.5 million.

The facility has a six-lane swimming pool, recreational pool with a waterslide, gym, climbing wall, weight room and aerobic equipment, child-care room, and other amenities.

Riggins said the price for a North Side Y would exceed $6 million. Riggins said he also hopes for a North Idaho YMCA.

“The Valley Y has become a center of activity for the community. We think it would be every bit as successful in the north,” Riggins said.

Currently, about one out of 15 Spokane County residents uses a Y or one of its programs. The organization’s goal is to get the ratio to 1 out of 10.

Nearly 20,000 people use the downtown and Valley facilities every year.

In addition, the Y has 8,000 kids who participate in programs operated outside the facilities, such as licensed before- and after-school child-care programs at school sites. About 2,000 kids use YMCA Camp Reed annually.

Another 1,000 seniors participate in the Retired Senior & Volunteer Program.

The two existing facilities have an annual operating budget is $8 million and employ 385. Nationally, there are more than 2,500 YMCAs, which are not-for-profit community service organizations.

“We believe that the addition of a north branch will enable us to ultimately involve an additional 14,000 individuals (mostly youth and families) or a total of approximately 45,000, which would enable us to achieve our 1 to 10 goal,” Riggins said.