YMCA Bowling Branch closing, city to control facility
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The YMCA of El Paso announced the Bowling Family location in the Northeast will close May 15. The YMCA said Monday the closure comes after its lease with the City of El paso expired.
YMCA CEO Glenda Gil said the cost of upkeep and maintenance of the Bowling location played a factor, but also said this decision was a last resort.
"The city and the YMCA, we were both very concerned about the impact of closing this facility, we were looking at every option possible," Gil said. "We were considering rising costs for such a large facility and we just couldn't come to an agreement that was fiscally and financially possible for both entities."
The city owns the facility, and Gil said the buildings condition was also a factor in the organizations decision as well as the proposed lease terms.
"The new lease agreement we were offered was not viable for the YMCA to agree to," Gil said. "The cost, where the current facility is positioned, in the northeast and the condition of the facility were factors that were not financially viable for the YMCA."
City official Laura Cruz Acosta said the building's condition is the YMCA's responsibility under the terms of Bowling's lease..
"Under the lease, the YMCA was responsible for maintaining the facility and unfortunately they couldn't maintain it," Acosta said. Our city staff did a building assessment, and it is in substantial need of repair and reinvestment. It's something we as a city need to look at."
Part of this includes pool repairs, the city asked the YMCA to consider extending its lease but said the YMCA declined.
The YMCA has been leasing property for $1 per year since 1960, a price Gil said was not the what was offered in the proposed new lease.
This means the facility will fall back under city control and Acosta talked about plans to look into how the property can be used in the future through the Parks Master Plan process.
In order to do this, Acosta urged Northeast residents to fill out the survey for the Parks Master Plan in order for the city to receive community input.
"If you haven't had a chance to and live in that area around the YMCA, fill out that survey, let us know what your area needs," Acosta said, "We are hoping to get feedback from the community using the survey and determine options for long term use of this facility."
Gil had a similar sentiment, saying even though the YMCA facility is closing her organization will still focus on providing youth and senior programs in the Northeast.
"We're also looking to provide some additional services in the northeast through other partnerships with community organizations in the area," Gil said. "We're looking at after school programs, summer camp, youth sports and senior programing."
Meanwhile, Bowling Family YMCA members can transfer their memberships to other locations, including the Fred & Maria Loya Family YMCA in the east, and the Westside location.
Gil said the approximate 2,500 members of the Bowling branch can become members at the other locations with fees being waived in the application process.
"We have membership forms that they can fill out at the Bowling," Gil said. "We're waiving the joiners fees, and we're also giving members one free month of membership."
The city said the Bowling Branch's closure made a gap in access to a public pool in the area with Veterans Pool closed for repairs.
Gil said that the YMCA plans on expansion after this closure, with the focus on going to areas with financial growth in the near future.
"Right now we are looking into a strategic plan for this year to see where we have opportunity to expand to," Gil said. "Growth areas like Far East, far west side. That's in the near future, we're already very close to finalizing partnerships."
In addition to this, Gil also said employees can be reassigned to the other YMCA locations in El Paso if they wish to continue working for the organization.
The Bowling Family YMCA will have a farewell event May 12th before closing on the 15th.
