Photo by Marney Simon | Enterprise Staff
Construction of the parking lot at the YMCA began last month.
By Marney Simon | Enterprise Staff
Plans are steaming ahead for expansion at the C.W. Avery YMCA in Plainfield.
On Aug. 21, members of the Plainfield Board of Trustees approved a site plan review of the planned expansion at the site, which will add on to the fitness center and improve services.
The plans include an 8,700-square foot addition to the northeast corner of the building, which will be reconfigured for an expanded fitness center and rehabilitation clinic.
The addition as proposed is adjacent to the main entrance of the building.
The new addition will feature an elevated roofline with transom windows above the existing façade, with a prominent glass façade at the corner of the building. The new addition will also add an architectural canopy to the existing front entrance.
The plans for the addition went before the plan commission earlier this month, with unanimous recommendation to the full board for approval.
Officials from the Y came before the board back in July, seeking approvals to improve the parking lot.
Construction crews have begun the process to add 144 spaces, increasing the parking from 234 spaces to 378 spaces.
The C.W. Avery YMCA serves about 15,000 members, with as many as 900 children in daycare and camp programs every day.
Between 1,200 and 1,400 people visit the Y on any given day.
Additional renovation plans include expanding the walking paths around the site to include gateways into outlying areas, and adding a storm shelter, a storage area, and washrooms between the athletic fields.
Other adds include more multi-purpose rooms and a gym addition, a covered walkway, and a donor plaza.
The full renovation will be completed in phases over several years.
The complete building renovation will ultimately add 11,300-square feet of space to the site.
YMCA officials are excited about the expansion.
“As Chairman of the Board, I can speak that this most recent expansion has been a priority as we are currently serving 1 in 3 Plainfield residents at our Avery YMCA,” Chair Rob Epley told the Enterprise in an email. “This new expansion of additional parking, and an updated, enhanced, and larger state of the art facility will allow us to continue our Mission of a healthy spirit, mind and body to all we serve.”
The C.W. Avery Family YMCA is one of five branches of the Y operated by the Greater Joliet Area YMCA non-profit organization, which has been serving Will County and its surrounding areas for more than 85 years. The Greater Joliet Area YMCA also includes Central City YMCA, Galowich Family YMCA, Morris Community YMCA, and Smith Family YMCA.
The original site was constructed in 2004 as a 52,000-square foot facility, with the family pool addition put on in 2007.