New features are on their way

In the early 1800s, the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) was launched as a program to aid and nurture young men, but today, it encompasses men, women and children of all ages and cultures.

In 1888, the YMCA of Northwest Louisiana was established, and as the Shreveport/ Bossier area continues to grow, so does the local organization, with two new sites in the near future and a third on the drawing board.

The one that excites local YMCA Chief Executive Officer Gary Lash is at the corner of Knight and Preston streets in Shreveport. He calls it a game changer.

“BHP Billiton gave us $10.7 million as a seed gift,” Lash said of the facility that will be part of a 150-acre campus and a $17 million total project. “This campus will represent the Y’s commitment to make sure everyone in our community regardless of age, income or background, has the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive.”

Phase 1 of the project is a fitness center that covers more than 56,000 square feet.

It will sport a 50-meter competition pool that will provide the opportunity for local swimmers to train and compete in their hometown.

“It’s the only indoor competition pool within 150 miles,” Lash said.

To YMCA board president Greg Morrison, the huge pool will be the big draw to the campus.

“This is an opportunity to elevate competitive swimming,” Morrison said. “It’s good now, but this will bring more awareness to the sport. Just in this area, there are 200-300 kids swimming (competitively). This gives us a chance to go after state and regional swim meets.”

And that will bring money into the area.

“This pool alone can be about a $6 million annual economic impact for people coming in and staying for competitions,” Lash said. “A family can spend anywhere from $600 to $1,000 here on a weekend.”

There will also be an indoor family pool with handicap accessibility.

“We will have swim lessons in there.

It will be warmer, so it will be good for children and for special needs individuals,” he said.

“That’s the other side of the coin,” Morrison said. “Teaching kids to swim. We’re just not teaching kids to swim any more in this area. That needs to change.”

Misty Alexander is wellness director for the Y. She currently operates 160 fitness classes a week with 60 instructors in the downtown and Broadmoor facilities. She says the new pools are important for the large number of area residents who do not know how to swim.

“A lot of people don’t have access to country clubs, or can’t afford them,” Alexander said. “We offer scholarships and subsidized memberships, as well.”

In addition, Phase 1 incorporates a wellness area, spin and group exercise studios, a CrossFit gym, regular gymnasium, a child watch area and outdoor athletic fields.

“This will have first-class, state-of-the-art workout and weight-lifting equipment,” Alexander said. “We can have several different things going on at once.”

The fitness center broke ground in July 2015 and is expected to be complete in November 2016. 

Phase 2 will be a tournament-style youth baseball complex where the Little League fields are now located.

“We’re going to buy that property and upgrade it so that there are tournament games – Little League will still play there as a home field,” Lash said.

But the YMCA isn’t just about swim and gym.

“We have summer reading programs for children that we don’t have the space right now to do, but we will be able to utilize the entire facility,” Alexander said. “We can do the reading program with the kids, and then they can have a time of physical activity.”

Afterward, the kids may be taken on a field trip into the nature center.

Using some property owned by the federal government and acreage owned by a YMCA member, Phase 3 will be a nature education and research center that is now in the planning process.

“That’s 150 acres we will have access to for field trips, science trips and all that goes with that to get people outdoors,” Lash said. “We’re going to partner with the Red River Wildlife Refuge, which is the greatest secret, other than the Y, in Shreveport.”

In addition to connectivity to the Red River Trail System, that portion will include walking paths and an outdoor classroom.

A specific timeline on that phase is forthcoming.

But how will people without a vehicle get to and from the new Y center?

“The school board has told us they will provide transportation,” Lash said.

Public transportation is also an option. “We’ve talked with the city extensively about bus stops, about it being accessible by public transit to get here,” Alexander added.

New board member Mark Sealy says location of the property is key to its success.

“With the combination of the Little League fields – there’s a concerted effort with Little League to enhance the baseball experience there,” Sealy said, “The (Clyde Fant) parkway provides some access without congestion for larger events, swim team meets and other types of activities.”

The YMCA building on McNeill Street was built in 1924. Lash says it will remain to service the downtown area.

“People who leave work for lunch will still be able to come down here,” Lash said.

The Broadmoor location will be closed; however, Lash said studies show those people will take advantage of the new location.

The future of the YMCA of Northwest Louisiana seems very bright.

As new projects go, 15 acres at Forbing will be a $50 million YMCA complex in southeast Shreveport with soccer fields and a Kroger’s grocery store on site. Fund-raising has already begun for it.

“We’ve been approached about building a YMCA in north Bossier, too,” Lash said. “It is still in the future but definitely on the drawing board.”

– Bonnie Culverhouse