Ridgefield pumped as YMCA design rounds into shape

“We want to go where people want us. Ridgefield seems to be a community that embraces the concept of a YMCA and having us there. The city has been, and continues to be, a good partner with us,” he said.

The new YMCA will be built on 4.9 acres owned by the city north of Pioneer Street at 51st Avenue near the Discovery Ridge shopping center. The project is a partnership between the city, YMCA and Bluerock Ventures. Precision Construction, a division of Hoffman Construction, will build the facility.

Jennifer Lawrence, the YMCA’s senior program director, said the site will help expand the organization’s existing relationship with the Ridgefield School District.

“Last summer, we got the opportunity to offer our summer camps at Ridgefield. We had about five different camps with 75 campers. We’re just really excited for the opportunity to start what we hope is great partnership moving forward,” she told the council.

In June, the city council approved an award for site design and planning for an estimated $273,000, with $250,000 coming from state funds and the city paying the remainder. 

Don Luthardt from Johansson Wing Architects in Battle Ground, which did the design work, said the 50,000-square-foot facility would be built to the U.S. Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards. LEED is the most widely used green building rating system in the world.

“The goal for this is to be an example of sustainable design, fitting in with nature and taking advantage of all the natural amenities that Ridgefield offers,” Luthardt said during the meeting.

Around 43,000 square feet will be used for YMCA activities, with the remaining 7,500 square feet for the YMCA’s partners.

While details have yet to be decided, the two-story site is expected to feature two pools, one being a lap pool and the other a family area for swim lessons. There will be a court area for basketball and volleyball, an elevated walking track on the second floor, an outdoor deck with sliding patio doors, multipurpose areas for other activities such as pickleball or physical therapy, large windows to take advantage of natural light, parking with a designated drop-off area and more.

Having multipurpose areas instead of spaces dedicated to a single activity has become more common, White said. As an example, White said a single space can be used by older members to gather, socialize and have coffee in the morning then be used by kids for after-school activities in the afternoon.

“Pre-COVID, facilities were 70,000 to 100,000 square feet. They had a dedicated cycling room, and a dedicated this room and that room … during COVID, we realized we may not need as much dedicated space and we want to have it more open for better flow. We’re all learning,” White said.

It won’t only be local residents happy to see the YMCA facility built. Several city council members voiced their support and excitement for the project.

“I’m going to have to let it sink in, but I sure do like what I see,” Councilor Ron Onslow said. “My wife is already excited to sign up.”

“Thank you for coming to the fastest growing city in the state of Washington. I’m very pleased to see that Hoffman and their subsidiary company is going to do the job. I’m very familiar with the quality of the work that Hoffman does and the resources you have,” Councilor Rob Aichele said. “I’m ready to buy a membership as soon as you start advertising them.”

Councilor Don Stose cautioned the YMCA not to underestimate the interest the facility will generate.

“We’ve had businesses come to Ridgefield in the last couple of years thinking, ‘We’re just going to build this building and we’ll be fine.’ We have businesses who’ve been here for two years and guess what? They underbuilt. Now they’re trying to figure out how to fix that… Just want to make sure you all understand that this is Ridgefield. And they’re coming,” Stose said.

Tyler Wright, CEO of YMCA of Columbia/Willamette, said community support will be just as important as partnerships with the city and school district in making the new location a success. That includes pre-selling memberships before the doors open, Wright said.

“We want to serve the families of Ridgefield and we want to do it the right way,” Wright told the council. “For a YMCA to come into a community and just build a building and say, ‘Oh, here we are, come to us.’ It’s that old ‘Field of Dreams’ attitude, build it and they will come. We have found that’s not the case.”

Membership rates won’t be set for some time but will likely be similar to rates at Clark County Family YMCA’s rates for its Vancouver facility. Currently, a household membership is $88 per month, an adult membership is $49 per month, young adult is $30 per month and a senior membership is $44 per month. All require an additional sign-up fee. The YMCA also has programs available for those needing financial assistance.

The total cost for the project is estimated between $16 million and $20 million, depending on the cost of materials. White said he’s hopeful recent supply chain troubles that have led to increasing costs for materials will be resolved by the time construction begins. 

“Right now, it’s not as in front of us since we’re not quite there yet but it’s definitely a concern. And it’s one of the reasons we have our contractor as part of all of our conversations,” he added.

The YMCA’s next steps, White said, will be a capital campaign to raise funds while at the same time getting architectural plans created.

“That will take about a year, for the permits and everything to get in place. Then we’re looking at construction in about another year,” White said. “We’re looking at the end of 2022 to have plans in place, construction beginning in late 2022 or early 2023, so an opening somewhere in late 2023 or early 2024. If everything goes as planned.”