This time next year, the Henderson Family YMCA is most likely going to be in its brand-new facilities. CEO David Caudle and H.G. Reynolds’s Bert Long agree on some time next summer, and so far, the timeline is humming right along.
“It’s really exciting,” Caudle said Tuesday, speaking outside beside the construction zone. “They’ve moved really fast in the past couple of months.” Passersby can’t help but notice the crane that’s been busy lifting steel beams into place.
As he spoke, he was watching the crane lifting roof rafters or ceiling joists atop the two-story structure.
“Maybe there’ll be a roof on this thing in the next week or so,” he said. “Once they get the roof on, it’ll definitely help. Weather won’t be so much of a factor.”
There’s a lot of activity that is visible from the road, but a lot of things are happening that passersby can’t see. The concrete’s been poured on the second floor, plumbing’s done and HVAC ductwork and some electrical work, too.
And the new pool’s been poured. It’s going to be something special – and unique to this area – because it’s going to have a retractable dome. Other amenities include a hot tub, steam room and sauna.
“They lifted the elevator in last week,” Caudle said. “That was really exciting – they lifted it in and bolted it down.”
The current Y building will become a designated space for youth programs, Caudle said. And there will be a new outdoor track that will once again welcome the public. The “old” track is no more – it’s currently a construction zone.
Caudle, who is coming up on one year as the Y’s CEO, said he won’t be surprised if this construction project doesn’t mirror a project he saw when he was at the Y in Wilson.
Membership there had been at 4,500 or so before the construction project. The last he heard that number was more like 10,000.
“The membership exploded in Wilson with that new facility,” Caudle said.
“I know what excitement this can bring, and I truly do expect it to be similar,” he said. “This is a very positive thing for our community.”
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