CCC YMCA WEBSITE
The Valley Y opened in 1924.
ANSONIA — After nearly a century serving the Valley, the YMCA at 12 State St. will not be re-opening, officials from the Central Connecticut Coast YMCA announced June 30.
Revenues at the organization, which has 12 locations in 25 towns, “were slashed by 90 percent” because of the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic fallout.
“We have cut way back on expenses including furloughs and salary reductions, but we have a serious problem,” CCC YMCA CEO David Stevenson said in a prepared statement.
The Y’s board of directors ultimately decided not to re-open two facilities — Ansonia and Hamden/North Haven. Youth services from those branches will be offered at satellite sites and local elementary schools, according to the statement.
“This was a very difficult decision as these two buildings have served their communities very well for many years,” said Blanca Kazmierczak, chairwoman of the Central Connecticut Coast YMCA’s board of directors.
The statement said the organization will work to find new housing for the 20 men who currently live in the State Street Y.
The Y said the Ansonia and Hamden/North Haven facilities had been operating at “significant deficits with declining membership over the past five years.”
In addition, the statement from the organization notes the Ansonia Y building is 96 years old and sits on just 1‑acre, indicating the building and property is obsolete for modern programming and amenities.
While closing the Ansonia and Hamden/North Haven locations, the statement from the Y said the organization is also on the lookout to buy properties that could replace the facilities.
Ideally, the organization needs 10 acres to plan and build a modern facility.
However, that is tough in developed places such as Ansonia and Derby, where that much acreage is hard to come by. In addition, the statement says dollars would have to be raised locally.
“New facility construction is very expensive, so we want to make absolutely sure that we get it right based on what local residents want and need,” Stevenson said.
“The community has to really want a Y to make the project viable,” Kazmierczak said.
The Valley Y has provided countless young people access to recreation programs they would not have been able to afford otherwise. The organization is a nonprofit.
A new Y can cost anywhere between $15 million and $40 million, according to the Y’s statement.
On Wednesday, The Valley Indy asked Facebook readers for suggestions:
Several readers suggested vacant land on Olson Drive, formerly the site of federally-subsidized housing. The land is owned by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, a federal agency.
The Olson Drive property has a deed restriction that prevents the land from being used for anything other than housing. However, the city is trying to get that deed lifted and sell Olson Drive to a private developer who wants to put an athletic complex there. That process is still in the works, Ansonia officials said Wednesday.
Other suggestions from readers included the former Hilltop Health Center on Ford Street in Ansonia, which has sat vacant since 2013; Tri-Town Plaza, which has sat under-developed in Seymour on the Ansonia border for more than a decade, and; the former Big Y on Main Street in Ansonia.
The comment thread generated 72 responses in just 60 minutes, indicating there is certainly local interest in a Valley YMCA. The thread is embedded below.
Ansonia Mayor David Cassetti said Wednesday he has been in contact with the local Y. He’d like to see the presence remain in Ansonia.
“I am brainstorming those ideas with staff. YMCA is always welcome. They have been a vital part of our community. We hope they have a continued presence in Ansonia and the Valley. We will continue discussions with them,” Cassetti said.
Pre-school child care offered at the Valley Y’s Child Care Center on Howard Avenue will continue, according to the June 30 statement.
The organization provided the following Valley membership numbers since 2017:
2017: 816 members
2018: 749 members
2019: 731 members
Members are being encouraged to transfer their memberships to other YMCAs.
“Presently there are about 91 active Valley Y employees – in child care (camp, preschool). We have eliminated two roles and are committed to placing staff within other branches,” Donna Lisitano, the Y’s marketing and communications director, said in an email. “The CCC YMCA is currently reviewing all options for the best future use of the State Street property.”
The full June 30 statement is embedded below:
CCCY Announces Development Plans (Press Release) by The Valley Indy on Scribd
