GRAND HAVEN, Mich. — The Tri-Cities Family YMCA is nearing the completion of a $10 million renovation designed to make the 50-year-old facility more accessible for people of all abilities.
WATCH: Grand Haven YMCA renovations nearing completion
The YMCA says one in five people in the area use the gym. Over the past year, crews have updated the building to enhance childcare facilities and make the gym easier to navigate.
"What's coming to reality is going to be a transformation for this Y and something that we think will set us up for, you know, the next 30 years," Tri-Cities Family YMCA CEO Greg Coil said.
Updates focused on making spaces in the YMCA easier to get to and use, including the pool and locker rooms. For members Ross Carter and James Malek, the biggest improvement is the new track.
"I'm sure it's going to be a nicer track than what we had downstairs," Carter said.
"When you walked around or ran around [the track], it was hard for older people with hip issues," Malek said.
Officials with the YMCA say the improvements were designed to allow people with all abilities to achieve their health and wellness goals. This includes members like Franklin Steinhauer, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when he was 19.
"If you don't move it, you lose it. I used to not like that term when my dad said that," Steinhauer said.
Steinhauer says the best upgrade is the locker rooms.
"If I have a female helper, they have the private rooms for me to get redressed and everything, so that I don't have to bring a female into the male locker room," Steinhauer said.
A community resource for more than half a century, the YMCA hopes these updates will keep it a staple for decades to come.
"This is just a great community asset and the more people that can use it, the better," Carter said.
The YMCA launched a capital campaign a few years ago to raise $10 million for the renovations. Nearly 400 individual and corporate donors have contributed, raising $8 million so far.
The organization is working to raise the final $2 million and has a $250,000 matching grant from a donor to help reach the finish line. The construction project is about three months away from completion. Click here for more information and to donate.
