Northpinellas: YMCA has grand plans, but needs cash

PALM HARBOR -- They've raised $2.3-million in donations, pledges and grants. Now boosters need about $150,000 more before construction of a new YMCA branch in Palm Harbor begins in the early fall.

"We are in the fourth quarter of fundraising to get the project going and we have to rally the broader community to finish the game," said David Voss, chairman of the Palm Harbor YMCA advisory board. "The end is in sight, but we are not there yet."

If construction begins in September, as planned, the first phase could open in mid 2004.

The new Palm Harbor branch is one of several big capital projects under way for the YMCA of the Suncoast, which serves more than 52,000 members and program participants in Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando counties.

The YMCA's Clearwater branch on S Highland Avenue is being gutted and rebuilt in a $3.5-million renovation and expansion. The East Lake Y last month opened a new Wellness Center with about $100,000 worth of new cardiovascular and strength-training equipment. It also plans to add a youth and teen center, a multipurpose room, a conference room and a kid's craft studio.

The Palm Harbor project shows more tangible signs than ever that it is moving forward.

On Monday, the Palm Harbor YMCA's second full-time staffer will start work and will focus on developing programs. Pinellas County officials also recently granted the group's request to build a recreation facility on the 8.5-acre property on 16th Street.

For the past year, "we have tried to raise community awareness with what's going on," said Brian Kridler, who has headed the Palm Harbor project as director of new YMCA development for the YMCA of the Suncoast. "Now it's time to get the word out to Joe Public and it's time to ask them for help."

Organizers need more volunteers to help with a big fundraising effort that will begin in April. Most of all, the project needs donations and pledges. The goal, Kridler said, is to raise $300,000 by June.

The YMCA's first phase will cost about $4-million. The YMCA has already spent $400,000 to buy the property and plans to borrow $1-million. Organizers hope the rest, about $2.5-million, will be covered by pledges, donations and grants.

During its first phase, the Greater Palm Harbor Branch of the YMCA of the Suncoast will have two pools. One will have a shallow end that slopes gradually into the water, like a beach, and a waterslide and will be used mainly for recreation for children and families.

The other pool will be a $500,000 competition pool with eight 25-meter swimming lanes and an area with two diving boards for diving competitions. This second pool will be the home pool for a summer swim team and the Palm Harbor University High School swim team, Kridler said.

Inside the 18,000-square-foot facility will be a wellness center with weights and cardiovascular exercise equipment; a multipurpose studio for aerobics, dance lessons and martial arts; and a teen center with a kitchen area and places to watch movies, surf the Internet and play games like billiards, foosball and pingpong.

The facility's first phase also will have a climbing gymnasium for young children and a babysitting area so parents can drop off their kids while at the facility.

In the second phase of the facility, Kridler said, the goal is to build a skate park, expand the multipurpose studio and build a gymnasium with a full-sized basketball court that can be used for volleyball games, gymnastics and teen dances.

The YMCA facility can be a "a rallying point," Voss said. "It creates a central place to gather, particularly for our young people."

He said he would like to see if the skate park can be moved to the first phase of the project. Building a place for skateboarders should be a priority, Voss said, because of the sport's rising popularity with teens.

"I see it as vital," Voss said. "We must recognize it as a viable activity and provide a safe and supervised environment for it. If we are able to build large gymnasiums for basketball, we should be able to build skate parks for skateboarders."

The third phase will be an expansion of the facility. When all three phases are completed, the YMCA facility in Palm Harbor will be a $7-million to $8-million building with about 36,000 square feet.

"It's going to be just terrific for the community," Kridler said. "It's going to be a centerpiece. It's kind of the one piece that is missing from Palm Harbor."

The proposal for the Palm Harbor YMCA started in late 1998 with swim boosters for the Palm Harbor University High School swim team. The boosters approached the YMCA of the Suncoast to manage a pool. Eventually, the plan evolved into a proposal for a full-scale YMCA.

The nonprofit organization did a study to find out what type of programs are needed in Palm Harbor. According to the research, "the greatest need by far was a community pool," Voss said.

A YMCA facility also can do much more for a community than just fill a recreation need, organizers say.

"For some people, the YMCA is a refuge," Kridler said. "For some people, it's where they run into friends and neighbors and see people. It's a place where we hope people find the road to a healthier lifestyle, not only in terms of exercise but in spirituality and mental enrichment."

The YMCA bought the 8.5-acre property on 16th Street from Pinellas County. Last year, Kridler set up offices in downtown Palm Harbor to coordinate the new facility. Organizers say they will continue moving ahead with the plans in anticipation of being able to raise the $150,000 they need before construction begins.

"It's time to step up," Voss said. "That's the message."

-- Ed Quioco can be reached at (727) 445-4185 or quioco@sptimes.com .

Information

For more information on the greater Palm Harbor branch of the YMCA of the Suncoast, call (727) 467-9622 or e-mail Kridler at bkridler@suncoastymca.org.

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