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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

YMCA opens gym north of Spokane

The new YMCA facility on Newport Highway is bustling with people working out, but it doesn’t smell like a gym at all. It smells like fresh paint and wood chips, and there’s not even a tinge of chlorine in the air – the pools are just being finished up.

The opening on Sept. 12 is the second grand opening the YMCA of the Inland Northwest has celebrated this year.

“Think of it this way: the Y in the Valley is now the old Y,” said Steve Jurich, YMCA vice president of operations and membership, while walking through the North YMCA last week. The Valley YMCA is 9 years old.

Since the North YMCA opened it has added about 3,500 new members, Jurich said.

“People don’t seem to mind that we weren’t quite done yet; they had really been looking forward to this,” Jurich said. “We have gotten no complaints while we finish up. People seem to understand.”

The second-floor wellness center features 64 cardio machines – including some with their own TV screens – and it comfortably holds 100 people working out at the same time.

“We also have a three-quarter-mile outdoor walking and jogging trail,” said Jurich, pointing out the window.

There is a full-size gymnasium at one end of the building and a huge swimming pool area at the other end.

“We try not to do cookie cutter designs, so the pool here is different from what you’ll find at the other Ys,” said Jurich. This one features a “lazy river” for slow drifting that ends in a vortex – a circular swirling basin where the water goes round and round. “The kids are sure to love this one.”

There also is a full-size lap pool for more serious swimmers, and picture windows around the pool area let in daylight and a great view.

But the North YMCA is about more than exercise.

“When we are done, we’ll have a 2,000-square-foot space for the YWCA here in the building,” said Jurich. “It will have a Head Start program that we plan to open in October, and there are separate offices for other services offered by the YWCA.”

The Y also offers two hours of free child care for members’ children 6 weeks to 6 years old while parents work out.

“That’s always been very popular,” Jurich said.

For teens or families who simply want to hang out, the North YMCA features a game room with pool and ping pong tables and some arcade games.

“We also have a Wii that 16 people can play on at the same time, hooked up to a 60-inch TV,” Jurich said.

Across the hallway, a teen center features computer equipment, some geared toward filmmaking.

“We are hoping this will be more of an arts-oriented computer lab,” said Jurich. “We will have a recording studio here, too.”

Part of the YMCA mission is to serve all economic levels, Jurich said.

“The rate paid is based on household income,” he said. “A family with an annual household income of less than $55,000 pays less than the regular rate.”

Jurich said the YMCA has 12,000 to 15,000 members in Spokane.

“Our goal is to serve one out of every six people in Spokane,” said Jurich. “And with this facility now open, we can say that everybody in Spokane is within 15 minutes of a Y. It’s been quite a year for us.”