Construction to Begin on Downtown ‘Y’
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowA groundbreaking ceremony is set for a $22 million YMCA in downtown Indianapolis. The three-story facility, located at the CityWay development near Eli Lilly and Co.'s (NYSE: LLY) world headquarters, is expected to be complete next year. June 12, 2014
News Release
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The YMCA of Greater Indianapolis will break ground on the YMCA at CityWay on July 16.
It is the second of three new centers in the YMCA's effort to provide full-service YMCAs to Indianapolis neighborhoods that have not had access to the life- and community-changing resources the Y offers.
Trustees of the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis have voted to start construction with $17 million of the $22 million project cost has been raised. The Y will continue fundraising for the remaining $5 million.
Located on the southeast corner of Delaware and South streets, south of the Alexander Hotel, the YMCA at CityWay will be a three-story, 87,000-square-foot building with retail space on the ground level and an adjoining two-story medical office building. It will include two indoor swimming indoor pools, three full-size gyms, and a green roof with space for outdoor classes.
Currently, the site is a parking lot for Eli Lilly and Company, which will lease the ground for the project.
The Lilly Foundation, the drug company's philanthropic arm, contributed $5 million toward the cost of the facility through the Y's “Strengthening the Heart of the City Campaign,” a part of the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis' drive to bring full-service centers to underserved areas. It marked its first milestone in this effort with last fall’s opening of the Avondale Meadows facility. Located in one of the city's most economically challenged neighborhoods, the facility has quickly attracted area residents to its programs and services. The YMCA is seeking partners and donors for its Pike Township project.
“We're indebted to Eli Lilly and The Lilly Foundation for their generosity,” said Eric J. Ellsworth, CEO of the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis. “The new CityWay YMCA will allow us to provide enriching programs to Lilly employees, our neighbors on the southeast side and the entire downtown community.”
The architect for the project is Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects and the general contractor is Shiel Sexton Co., Inc.
The new YMCA at CityWay is scheduled to open by the end of 2015. For more information on the campaign, visit www.OurCauseIsYou.org.
About the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis
The YMCA of Greater Indianapolis serves more than 200,000 people in diverse communities throughout greater Indianapolis. The YMCA brings together young and old, men and women, people of all faiths, backgrounds and incomes. Last year, the YMCA provided nearly $6 million in scholarships, subsidies and underwritten programs and community services in low-income neighborhoods. Through 13 locations and in collaboration with more than 200 churches, schools and other community groups and organizations, the YMCA is also able to extend its program opportunities throughout central Indiana and into the heart of urban neighborhoods. To donate or for more information about YMCA programs and services, visit www.OurCauseIsYou.org.
Source: The YMCA of Greater Indianapolis