Talks of the YMCA expanding into Yelm continue to heat up as Kyle Cronk, South Sound YMCA CEO, led a special presentation at the Yelm City Council meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 23.
Cronk arrived in the South Sound in 2015 and said, upon arriving, Yelm Mayor Joe DePinto, who served as a city councilor that year, inquired about a facility in Yelm. Nine years later, Cronk believes the timing is right for a YMCA expansion into Yelm.
“What makes the timing right, now, is that Yelm is growing. We really see ourselves as the educational Y, and we support education. Until Yelm could pass a bond that supports schools, we didn’t feel that we could come in and try to ask to raise money in a community that isn’t doing that for education yet,” Cronk said. “Now that has happened, and there’s another vote on Feb. 13, so support your schools. That is very critical.
“We know that our kids are struggling, especially after the pandemic. Mental health, anxiety, bullying, isolation, and it’s not just our kids. Our families are struggling as well,” Cronk added. “Our communities are struggling with homelessness, a lot of division, violence, and these problems are super complex, interrelated and require a synchronized, comprehensive, community-wide approach, and that’s what the YMCA is about. It’s not about the building. It’s about the building that brings people together. That’s what we’re really good at.”
A Yelm YMCA would be similar to a recently built branch in Shelton, Cronk said, adding the two cities are similar in demographic and size. YMCA would consider optimal building size, central location, utilitarian program spaces and community co-creation in order to create a thriving branch in Yelm, he said.
The CEO added the Yelm community is appealing because it has different outdoor recreation prospects, a strong school district, amazing community-wide events and other opportunities, as well as strong scenery. He believes bringing a YMCA to Yelm would not only allow residents to work out and swim but forge strong connections with fellow patrons in order to build a “community-hub atmosphere.”
“Working out at the YMCA is not the only thing you can do at the YMCA, and it’s not the only program we run. Just because someone doesn’t want to work out at the YMCA doesn’t mean they wouldn’t benefit from it. When you think about what are the things in a community that drives it and makes a community healthy? It’s a place where people can go and congregate. It’s where people can build relationships. It’s where people can get the support they need,” Cronk said. “We don’t turn anyone away. Kids, family, adults, it doesn’t matter what program, whether it’s membership, youth sports, swim lessons, any child care, all of that, if you can’t afford the full cost of membership, we give you financial assistance. No one is ever turned away, no matter what.”
The projected Yelm YMCA branch would be approximately 30,000 square feet, but the size could increase or decrease depending on if a library or other organizations house themselves within the building. The estimated cost to build a YMCA is $20 million, or about $600 per square foot, Cronk said. He added that the average cost of membership for families is between $75-$90, and between $50-$55 for adults. Like it did in Shelton, the YMCA would match its membership prices to the community’s median-income.
Cronk believes the project could be paid for through four combined methods of fundraising, including philanthropy, regional foundations, state funding, and a bond, which would be the largest fundraiser for a YMCA.
“The YMCA doesn’t come into a community and say ‘We’re bringing a YMCA to Yelm.’ We’re invited, and we’re invited because there’s a community need,” Cronk said. “With the co-creation process, you really want to understand what the community needs and what they expect. Obviously, what I hear every time I come to Yelm or talk about a Yelm YMCA, is ‘We need a pool.’ ”
Bryan Irion, an employee for South Sound YMCA at the Briggs Community YMCA, believes a Yelm branch would benefit the community in a variety of ways. The 10-year YHS football coach has seen the YMCA provide numerous opportunities for residents of all ages and believes many would put the branch to good use.
“I just wanted to say the YMCA is a complete life-changing experience for youth, for families, for adults … I think having a Y won’t only change lives. It will bring opportunity to the community and everyone involved,” Irion said. “I see it every day in my own work and my own development with the YMCA and the families at the Briggs YMCA. I understand the power and the magic behind it, and being out here and seeing the need in Yelm, I think it’s a match.”
Councilor Joshua Crossman advocated for local organizations, which aren’t taxpayer funded, that currently offer some of the potential business-offerings a YMCA would bring.
“You’re coming in as a competition that’s taxpayer funded (with) big, deep pockets. How do you affect your competition,” Crossman questioned.
Cronk responded, “We don’t. This was a question that came up in (Shelton) a lot. The Shelton Athletic Club is probably stronger today than it’s ever been. Not everybody wants to work out at a Y. At 2:30 in the afternoon, if you go there as an adult you’ll hate it. It’s loud, there’s a lot of kids around. Adults are going to join the YMCA, no doubt about it. But what we focus on is families and community strengthening.
“I think people moving into Yelm are thinking they want facilities, amenities like this. They want opportunities for recreation and family time, not to mention good jobs and good, strong schools,” Cronk continued. “Those are all part of a strong community. Making sure you are thinking 50 years in the future, when someone else is sitting in your chair 50 years from now, they will be thinking that was a good move.”
Councilor Tracey Wood asked Cronk how the YMCA would approach residents who wouldn’t necessarily use a YMCA about why they’re raising taxes in Yelm.
“It’s hard to say what you would say to that person other than what I’m proposing has happened in probably every community at some point in time,” Cronk said. “There’s very few communities that don’t have a YMCA, and the way they get a YMCA is because the community comes together and says we really need this because we’ve got these gaps.”
Councilor Brian Hess asked the CEO about what the radius of people coming into and utilizing the potential YMCA branch would be. Cronk estimated a Yelm branch could serve between 2,200 and 3,000 member units.
“I’ll use Shelton as the example. I’d say a 23- to 25-minute drive radius. Wherever you locate the center of that, you take a 25-minute drive time,” Cronk said. “That’s a rural community, different than an urban center.”
