The new light fixtures are now completely installed!
|
I am happy to inform you that some more work has been completed at the Y to make your use of the gym a little better. We recently contracted to have some LED lights installed. This is going to create better lighting during the evening and hopefully be a little more efficient on our utility bill. We also made alterations to the middle court’s basketball goals. These can now be lowered to 8’ so we don’t have to hang those portable goals on the rim during youth games. The last change was the addition of two more goals to the far (west) court that allows us to put the height of those goals between 6' and 8’. This allows us to remove the portable basketball goals and have fixed goals that can be lowered so preschool and elementary children can comfortably play on them.
These are just the beginning of the changes and renovations to come. I know that some of you have been wondering why more renovations haven’t been completed yet. From the start, the city has been forthcoming and transparent about collecting the sales tax revenue first. When the community voted to approve the sales tax for this project, it was stated as a 5 year tax, which means the city would have to collect several years of revenue prior to starting the majority of the renovations. We are on track though, we have already started planning for renovations on the main floor at the Y and should have info on that as we move into 2022. If you should ever have questions about our plans for the renovations, please stop by my office and I'll be more than happy to discuss them with you. Matt Schneringer, CEO  Up next on the renovation update is our replacement light fixtures new basketball goals!
GYMNASIUM CLOSUREOur gymnasium will be closed Monday 11/22 and Tuesday 11/23 due to these renovations.
Questions or comments? Email our Executive Director Matt Schneringer at [email protected]  An update from our CEO: As some of you might remember, the community voted for a small sales tax increase for 5 years, with the funds going to Kemper projects, specifically the Boonslick Regional Library and the Boonslick Heartland YMCA. We are excited to share that we have received enough sales tax funds to start some work on renovations and improvements. The sales tax money that the City is going to use is focused on renovations of the current Y facility and the renovation and expansion of Academic Hall which is located just on the north side of the Y. The Academic Hall project is to eventually house the YMCA’s afterschool and summer camp programs, as well as, opportunities for youth sports and community rentals / use. The rest of the sales tax revenue will primarily go towards the renovation of the current Y building.
We started 2021 by developing our first batch of improvements for the Y building. Due to funding, logistics and the child care programs, we decided to start on the gymnasium renovations first. We sent out to bid about 6 projects and received varying results. The primary project was the complete renovation of the two bathrooms in the gym. We received only one bid and it was significantly higher than budgeted. We also received bids for replacing the lights with new LED lights, painting the gym, fixing the doors that walk out onto 3rd street, restoring the stairwell, improving basketball goals, and repairing the windows (during heavy rains the windows leak significant amounts of water onto the gym floor). Unfortunately, we only received or accepted bids for the lighting, basketball goals, and exterior doors. We did not receive bids for some of the projects, and for others, the cost was too high. Our plan for those projects that are not being addressed at this time is to wait a while then rebid them. In mid-October you should begin seeing some work in the gym. Our plan is to finish the work by mid to late November and then refinish the gym floor right after Thanksgiving, just in time for basketball. After these projects are complete, we will start planning for future projects. As we move forward with these plans, I will send out periodic updates and pictures (as I can) to keep our members and the community informed of our progress. These future plans encompass the renovation of the entire main floor to include locker rooms, fitness center, lobby, weight rooms, etc. I want to thank the community again for the support and confidence in our Y. It is my belief these projects and improvements will help preserve our facility and enhance your experience while visiting us. As always, if you have questions or concerns about the direction our Y is taking, feel free to contact me at [email protected] and we can always sit down and discuss them. |
