After a failed safety inspection, a downtown YMCA location is gone for good

Kansas City, Kan., has lost its downtown YMCA after a structural inspection revealed that the building is no longer safe.

The YMCA of Greater Kansas City said on Friday that it sought the consultation of a structural engineer recently after noticing signs of deterioration at the 8th Street Family YMCA in KCK.

"Based on the structural engineer's report, we must exit the entire building structure," the YMCA said in a statement. "Out of concern for the safety of our associates, members and the community, we have closed the facility."

The 8th Street Family YMCA had 753 memberships and employed three associates full-time and another 30 workers part-time.

Those members can still visit other YMCA locations in the metro area; nearby locations include one at Quality Hill, 1051 Washington St. in Kansas City, and the Providence YMCA/Ball Family Center, 6801 Parallel Parkway in KCK.

"We commend YMCA leadership for making the safety of their members their top priority," said David Alvey, mayor of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kan. "At the same (time) we appreciate how difficult this decision was for them, given their passion to continue serving their members with quality facilities and programming."

The UG has for years sought a new YMCA in downtown KCK. The YMCA planned to close the 8th Street Family YMCA in 2013 as it lost members and the 105-year-old building deteriorated, but financial support from the UG kept it open until this week.

Former UG Mayor Mark Holland sought to raise funds for a YMCA community center in downtown KCK as part of his Healthy Campus initiative, which also would have included a grocery store.

Holland last year said the project was close to raising enough funds and had hoped to break ground on the project in 2018. Holland lost his bid for re-election to Alvey last November.

The UG Commission last year approved $2 million in funding for land acquisition for the Healthy Campus project, but in February voted to put the project on hold.

"The Unified Government continues to collaborate with the efforts of the YMCA to bring such a facility to our downtown neighborhoods," Alvey said.

This story was originally published March 10, 2018 at 10:10 AM with the headline "After a failed safety inspection, a downtown YMCA location is gone for good."