The Downtown YMCA is an inspiration. Having celebrated its 100th anniversary this fall, it has witnessed two world wars, the Great Depression and the Great Recession, and the rise, fall and resurrection of downtown.
Just like its neighboring private businesses, ever-changing demographics and trends have required it to evolve with the times.
The Young Christian Men’s Association was established in Springfield in 1888 and quickly outgrew its rented location at College Street and Campbell Avenue, near the current site of Regal Cinemas. In 1900, it purchased a lot at St. Louis Street and Jefferson Avenue, where it built a three-story red brick building for $23,000. The building caught fire in 1911 and couldn’t be saved because the ladders of the south-side fire department were unable to reach the third floor.
The second, and current, downtown Y building was built in 1913 at the northwest corner of Jefferson Avenue and Pershing Street. According to the Springfield-Greene County Library website, “It cost $100,000 to build and its floor plan included a bowling alley, barber shop, swimming pool and cafeteria in the basement. The first floor had a gymnasium and offices. On the second floor was a running track and educational rooms. The third and fourth floors included dormitories with over 30 rooms.”
An addition was added in 1971, and the YMCA and Young Women’s Christian Association were merged to become the Springfield Family Y. The former YWCA building on the east side of Jefferson was sold with the proceeds used for the Pat Jones Y on Republic Road.
The downtown YMCA building was completely renovated in 1996 to remove the dormitories in exchange for a rock climbing wall, aerobic equipment, an indoor running track and corporate offices for its programs across southwest Missouri.
Steve Gimenez was named the CEO of the Springfield Regional YMCA last summer, succeeding Brad Toft, who held the position 11 years. Gimenez and his staff manage iconic facilities and programs but realize they are one of many wellness options.
As such, the Y must have organizational dexterity. It added “Body Pump” classes to respond to current fitness trends and reinforce the strong connections its members make in small groups. It opened a 60,000-square-foot, $11 million facility in Monett through an exceptional locally led capital campaign. It continues to work with the surrounding communities it serves such as Bolivar, Lebanon and Hollister to re-examine relationships to keep them sustainable and mutually beneficial.
The Y announced just more than a year ago its Healthy Living Alliance received a $1.3 million Community Transformation Grant from the Centers for Disease Control. The program is designed to prevent chronic diseases and provide the community with resources. Springfield’s HLA is a collaboration of some 30 like-minded organizations connecting programs with specific health needs in schools and workplaces.
HLA offers three suggestions for the New Year:
1. Easy ways to be active. Studies show sitting for four hours or more per day can lead to chronic disease, including diabetes, cancer and depression. Activity equals calories burned and natural movement is the best way to incorporate more activity into your day-to-day life at work and at home. Examples include standing up while on the phone or at your desk to burn calories, taking walk breaks and working out on lunch breaks.
2. Tobacco cessation. According to the CDC, tobacco use is the most preventable cause of death, yet annually in America, smoking cigarettes or exposure to second-hand smoke cause one in five deaths. On a financial scale, smoking-caused diseases represent $96 billion in health care costs a year. Just as Springfield City Council is considering reducing opportunities to smoke on Park Central Square, employers and employees should examine ways to curb tobacco use.
3. Manage stress levels. Stress is a practical reality for virtually everyone. But will we manage it or will it manage us? Ideas from HLA include allowing yourself to occasionally say no to new commitments; connecting socially with your family, co-workers, and/or church members; getting plenty of sleep; eating a well-balanced diet; and changing your emotional response as a reaction to an event, rather than changing the event itself.
Like any good teacher, the Y leads by example. It endeavors to be competitive in its second century by listening to its members, collaborating with its neighbors, and remaining open to change.
Rusty Worley, executive director of Urban Districts Alliance, can be reached at rusty@itsalldowntown.com.[[In-content Ad]]
