Mayor details conceptual multi-million dollar Yelm Athletic Complex

The City of Yelm is one step closer to pursuing its Yelm Athletic Complex (YAC), which has been compared to Lacey’s Regional Athletic Complex (RAC) and Spanaway’s Sprinker Recreation Center.

Mayor Joe DePinto said, if re-elected, details about a potential YAC would be presented in a Yelm City Council meeting in early 2026 once Thurston County general election results are set. He also provided a rough estimate on the cost of designing and constructing the YAC, and floated a ballpark estimate of $10-$20 million.

“We’re hoping the YAC would be located on the Yelm Loop right after the roundabout coming into town from Lacey. It’s going to be a welcoming multi-use community hub. Kids and families can learn, play and compete year round. There will be baseball, soccer and football fields as well as an indoor aquatic center that’ll serve recreation, instruction and hopefully competitive swimming,” DePinto told the Nisqually Valley News on Tuesday, Sept. 16. “I see the YAC as more than just fields and a pool. It’s going to be a real unique place that brings community identity, supports healthy lifestyles, and provides safe after school opportunities. We could host regional activities and events here, and create a wonderful gathering spot for residents here in town.”

DePinto added that a potential YAC would include “plenty of parking” and described the desire for a larger lot as a “desperate need.” He backed up the YAC proposal by claiming city fields and greenspaces are at capacity, and noted that school fields within Yelm Community Schools (YCS) are “very expensive” to utilize for practices and games. Those fees, he said, puts pressure on families to have to pay extra athletic fees to play and practice locally.

“We don’t want to do that. We’re trying to do things that people want, and a community pool is a longtime request from residents. I’m committed to making that happen. That’s a promise I told folks I’d work on and try to complete,” DePinto said. “We got close with the YMCA, and there was a great opportunity to get a Y into town. With the state of our levies, I don’t think that’s a viable option in the near future.”

Though he said it’s not a viable option in the near future, DePinto believes a YMCA location in Yelm would be a great addition, but based on previous council discussion and community needs, there would need to be a local approach.
“I’m committed to working with local organizations. You saw presentations from a few groups two weeks ago during a study session, and I think one, if not more, probably multiple of those organizations, will be part of this,” DePinto said, in reference to Total Sports Development, Get Fit Yelm, and YARD Campus presenting at a Yelm City Council study session on Tuesday, Sept. 2. “I’m still meeting with a lot of them.

“I think for the indoor pool, indoor aquatics center, we could offer year round lessons and support a future competitive swim team at the high school,” he added. “I think that project, just with the swimming pool portion, will be a huge amenity for Yelm. It’s something they’ve asked for repeatedly over the years, and it’s something they want.”

When asked about a project timeline, DePinto said he’d be hopeful for the YAC to be under construction before the end of his potential second term. He has his eyes set on construction in 2028.

Additionally, DePinto will wait until January for information about the YAC to be presented to council, noting the project would need council approval.

“Planning would start immediately. After we know what the new council makeup looks like, early January is when we’ll really start pushing forward with this,” he said. “We’d hit the ground running with the new council. It could have an interesting makeup, a new makeup politically next year. We need to make sure that everyone’s supporting it.”

DePinto, who will be featured in November’s ballot as he’s running for re-election against former mayor JW Foster, said the total cost of the YAC would span between $10 million and $20 million — basing those estimations on projections from previous conversations with the YMCA.

Despite the lofty price tag, the current mayor believes the YAC can be achieved without raising local taxes.

“I’ll be very clear on this. We intend on funding this project without raising local taxes. We have a strategy that will combine state and federal grants, public and private partnerships, and use of available bond capacity if needed so we don’t have to rely on new taxes,” he said. “We’ve been very successful at securing state and federal grants in recent years, and we’ll be aggressively pursuing those funding sources for this project.”

He added that Yelm has a bond capacity it could use, and described that process as borrowing bonds and paying interest on them over time. DePinto noted this is a common and responsible practice for cities to fund community projects.

“These partnerships with private organizations and nonprofits groups, they’re going to help cover some of the capital costs and operational costs to help further reduce that public burden and ensure professional facility management – similar to what they do over at Sprinker,” DePinto said. “Stay tuned. Listen to some of the public meetings we’re going to host. We’ll have open houses, and community support is going to be critical and crucial for this. It’s going to be amazing, and I look forward to making the YAC, Yelm Athletic Complex, a reality. I hope people share their ideas and support for it as we move forward.”