Toledo pronounces new Wayman Palmer YMCA to be constructed

A new Wayman D. Palmer YMCA, along with a new Inez Nash Park, is being built for the residents of Toledo, Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz announced at a press conference on Wednesday.

“Today’s announcement is a win for this neighborhood, a win for the children and a win for Toledo,” said Mayor Kapszukiewicz. “My administration has given priority to investing in all parts of the city, especially those that have been ignored for decades. Whether it’s building this new YMCA, demolishing the old Driggs Dairy, or sending hundreds of kids to preschool and college for free as part of HOPE Toledo, I take pride in what my administration has in heart for the neighborhoods our city has reached. Today it is evident that speaking is cheap, but actions are powerful. “

A public session will be held at the Wayman D. Palmer YMCA on Monday, September 27th at 6:00 p.m. to collect community input on the plan for the new facility and park.

US MP Marcy Kaptur; Toledo Council members Vanice Williams and Cerssandra McPherson; City of Toledo Neighborhood Director Rosalyn Clemens; Brad Toft, YMCA of Greater Toledo president and chief executive officer, and Ray Micham, owner of The Collaborative Inc., were among those who joined the mayor on today’s announcement.

“I’m so excited to be here because this is so close to my heart … My daughter started playing basketball here,” said Ms. Williams. “This was a complicated part of being a single mom and needing a space for my daughter that kept her active, she was studying.”

Ms. Williams added, “This is a monumental project. This neighborhood has needed that for decades. “

“This is long overdue, but thank God it will happen because our children, our community, deserve it,” said Ms. McPherson.

Funding for the $ 21 million project will come from a combination of sources including funding from the Community Development Block Grant, funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, the YMCA capital campaign, and private sector donations. The new facility, which faces Bancroft Street and will be built on what is currently Inez Nash Park, will open in 2024. It will have multi-purpose rooms, a demonstration kitchen, a communal lounge, gyms, fitness rooms and an indoor swimming pool. The new park will replace the current building, said Ms. Clemens.

“This project is a legacy project for us. This is a must do project for us. We have to do this because these are the types of projects that allow equity to be included, ”said Ms. Clemens.

Here is the link to the announcement TOLEDO BUILDS NEW WAYMAN D PALMER YMCA