Future Of Former YMCA Building Could Be Decided This Wednesday

With no funding allocated in the 2020 preliminary budget the question yet to be answered will the former flagship Cresecent Park location of the now defunct YMCA of Moose Jaw meet the wrecker’s ball this year or not?

At their December 4th special Council meeting dealing with the budget Councillor Heather Eby, a former YMCA board member, made the motion for the 220 Fairford Street East building to be demolished as part of the 2020 Capital Budget.

“I am prepared to make a motion to do that tonight,” Councillor Eby told Council regarding the demolition of the for YMCA headquarters building.

City manager Jim Puffalt said that the money might be available and he had an idea as to a “couple of options for the source of funding” and he would return with a report the next special meeting Council meeting discussing the budget on December 11th.

Councillor Eby responded she did not want to see an increase in taxes to pay for the demolition which has an estimated cost over $600,000.

Any demolition of the former YMCA building will NOT include the adjacent Moose Jaw Natatorium building which is a designated heritage site and presently used in the Summer as change rooms for the Phyllis Dewar Outdoor Pool as well as cold storage.

After 114 years of operation the YMCA of Moose Jaw closed its doors earlier this year as the charity was on the brink of bankruptcy. The childcare was sold to the YMCA of Regina as part of the wrap-up of the local Y’s operations.

Previously Council was asked in August to issue an Request For Proposal regarding the YMCA building but the motion was defeated by Council a move Mayor Fraser Tolmie said would leave the City responsible for the demolition costs. Councillor Brian Swanson responded any RFP would likely come back with a $1 proposal to run programs out of the now abandoned building. Presently the utilities are shut off to the building.

It was recently revealed the building has been broken into and extensive vandalism occuring inside prompting fears it would turn into the former Providence Hospital which was abandoned for close to a decade and repeatedly broken into and vandalized before its demolition.