The director of the Treasure Valley Family YMCA and the developer charged with building a new Boise Y center are determined to get the facility across the finish line somehow.
David Duro, CEO of Treasure Valley Family YMCA, and developer Dean Papshe I want to make one thing clear: plans to build the YMCA portion of a complex project are moving forward and are not directly affected by the changes and uncertainty surrounding other parts of the project.
“The Y is fortunate that everyone is behind the Y portion to make sure that it’s successful, above all else,” Duro said in an interview at his office. “And so we feel confident that the Y is moving forward, and I think that’s the message that maybe got lost.”
News reports in recent weeks have cast a shadow over the entire project, which involves multiple owners, including the YMCA, St. Luke's, the development team and the urban renewal agency Capital City Development Corp.
It also includes three main parts:
The big problem is that the development team at Edlen & Co., Chase Miksis and Elton Cos. has indicated that it cannot deliver on everything that was originally approved by CCDC.
Higher interest rates, higher construction costs and a tight labor market in the construction sector mean that some parts of private development no longer make financial sense.
Project developers have had to completely scrap their plans for senior housing above the parking garage.
The developers are seeking to partner with the Boise City Ada County Housing Authorities to take over the workforce housing.
At the same time, time is of the essence, as the urban renewal district that the project falls under will cease to exist in two years. That means projects need to get underway before CCDC can spend money on infrastructure.
“If the sunset didn't affect this (affordable housing), we would just have more time to make it all happen,” Duro said.
But Duro and Papé, a partner at deChase Miksis, stress that the new 100,000-square-foot YMCA is moving forward. There are still a few hurdles to overcome, but Duro and Papé said the community shouldn’t confuse the obstacles facing the rest of the project with the Downtown Y portion.
“We want, more than anything, to see the whole project go forward,” Duro said. “We're working to support that and make sure that happens. But you know, at the end of the day, the Y will at least move forward as a result of everyone's labor.”
Land swap
One of the complexities of the deal involves a land swap with the CCDC, which would see the Y Building occupy the northern half of the block along State Street between 10th and 11th streets.
The YMCA is trading its half-block to the west for a quarter-block of land on the southwest corner of State and 10th Streets. It also comes with some money to even things out.
The land swap is expected to close on September 30.
“And once that deal is done, we can build here no matter what,” Duro said. “There's nothing else that needs to happen. It's not contingent on anything.”
The Y has scheduled a special board meeting for October 16. During this meeting, the board will be asked to approve signing a construction contract.
“We can start with that in November, and we are fully engaged in it,” Duro said. The goal is to start the interior work around this time next year and have the opening take place in late 2026 or early 2027.
Parking garage
A key part of the whole deal is parking. As part of the plan to develop the site, developers would build a parking garage just south of the new Downtown Y, in which the Y would have 210 spaces.
Papé and Duro said the parking garage, along with the Y's child care center and St. Luke's clinic space, will come anyway, whether it's owned by the developers or CCDC.
“So we feel confident that together with the partners, whether it's CCDC or the development team and St. Luke's, we can get this garage built,” Duro said. “And you know, CCDC has made statements in board meetings and privately about their commitment to making sure that this parking lot goes forward.”
Fundraising
Meanwhile, the Y is trying to complete the final mile of its marathon to raise money for the new facility. The total cost is $80 million, and they are still about $5.5 million shy of their goal.
“We certainly have a path to get there, to close that gap,” said Meagan Ellis, Chief Development Officer for the Treasure Valley Family YMCA. “And this is a community resource, and every Y is built by its community, so we rely on those community donations to continue to come in even after we start construction. So even though we have a path to get there, we’re still going to be asking for and raising those dollars and minimizing the debt that’s needed.”
When I wrote a column this year about Fundsy and the construction of the current YMCA on State Street in 1967, I noted that the Y ran into trouble because it ran out of money before it could finish construction. I raised that specter with Duro, who didn’t lose sight of the reference.
“The one thing we don't want to do is lose the sense of urgency that people may have,” Duro said. “We really need the community to step up now and help us get this done, and we think we can. We think people will support us. It may not be in October, but the more it is, the easier it will be for the Y and the Y board to approve it (on Oct. 16).”
Ultimately, the most important piece, the piece that set this whole thing in motion, is the new Downtown Y.
“I think the focus is on the Y, moving the Y forward,” Papé said. “And everything else that's happening around the Y, we'll find a solution for that; we'll find a path forward. But right now we need to focus on getting the Y in the ground.”
For Duro, this is necessary to continue serving the community for the next 50 years – and beyond.
“We can't wait because this building (the current YMCA) is in a state where the longer we wait, the worse it's going to get,” Duro said. “And we also know that this environment that we're in right now, with construction costs and market pressures, we don't think is going to get better anytime soon in Boise.
“You know, it could actually get worse before it gets better with these makeover projects that are going on. So we feel that even without the sunsetting of CCDC, which really has nothing to do with our building, even without that, there is a great sense of urgency.”
