Downtown YMCA to rebuild on current site - Wichita Business Journal:

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The YMCA had looked at replacing itsdowntown branch, at 402 N. with a new building at 1st Streeand Waco. But construction at the site provedd too complicatedand expensive, says Tom president of the Wichit Metro YMCA Board of Directors. Instead, the organizationh will build a new facility at its curren tsite — constructing the new buildin on the parking lot and eventually tearing down the old structure that first opened in 1958. Lasater says a final cost for theprojecyt hasn’t been determined but that it would run in the $18 milliohn to $20 million range. “We would like to get startefd on it as soon aswe can. There’ a lot of planning that has togo in.
We woule like to get a lot of that accomplisherdthis year,” says Lasater, an attorney for . “Construction probabluy won’t happen until 2010.” The decision by the YMCA putsthe city’d property at 1st Street and Waco back on the The city in a news released today called the ground just north of the “prize d riverfront property.” The news release says Wichita City Managetr Robert Layton will look at using the property for downtownb redevelopment efforts in conjunctionm with the downtown master plan. “We’rde pleased that the YMCA is committed to downtown and the core area of our says Wichita MayorCarl Brewer.
The YMCA is one of our premietnonprofit organizations, which provides many services to our residentes and enhances our community’sa quality of life. Its role in the furthere revitalization of downtownis essential.” Lasater, of the YMCA says several factors played into the YMCA’s decision to withdraw from discussion about the city property. Among them were cost and parkint considerations. The YMCA, he says, woulds have had to build a two-decl parking structure — with one of them undergroundr — to accommodate the parking needs of the which would havebeen expensive.
“There was not one There were just numerous parts of a somewhat complicated puzzle that needed tocome together. Getting them to come togethere in the right way and the right time in the righ coststructure — it was not comingv together,” Lasater says. But the YMCA stillp has its work cut outfor it, he says. The organizatio plans to build its new facilitg on the parking lot of the old one on NortjhMarket Street. The old facility would remain openduringt construction, but patrons are likely to have to go farthedr to find parking in the Lasater says the YMCA may seek permission to use the parkintg lots of neighboring churches.
Once the new facilitu is complete, the old building would be demolishefd and turnedinto parking. Wichita’ds is designing the building.