The renovation includes a new lobby, an expanded wellness area, an additional studio for classes and a redesigned youth area, said Greg Lee, spokesman for several area YMCAs.
Lee said the entire upstairs of the YMCA was redesigned to include a modern lobby with an open layout, and the glass separating the lobby from the main wellness area downstairs was removed to create a more open feeling. He said the lobby was also opened up to create a place where people can sit and chat after working out.
“People go to classes and then hang out,” he said. “They build interests and make friends.”
The renovations were paid for with funds saved by the YMCA over the years, Lee said.
“It was a long time coming,” Lee said. “Everyone is really excited and happy to have the space back.”
He said the renovation also included moving administrative offices downstairs to a smaller, shared space to allow room for more wellness space upstairs. There are now machines and open space for exercises with balls, mats and bands where the offices once were, and new TVs were added to the wellness area.
About 5,000 members were using six treadmills before the number of machines was doubled, Lee said.
He also said there are now two studios for classes instead of one, so classes can be held simultaneously, with new floors, ceilings and mirrors in both studios. Lee said some classes were moved to the gym or off-site during the renovation, but they’re all back and running now, although he said the Zumba class that was moved to the gym is too large to be moved back to a studio.
