By KEN de la BASTIDE
Tribune enterprise editor
May 20, 2008 12:12 am
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A new proposal to keep the YMCA in downtown Kokomo with no expense to taxpayers is being advanced by Howard County Commissioner Dave Trine.
Trine is proposing the former Hoosier Wholesale property be the location for a new YMCA building.
The block is bordered by Washington, Buckeye, Jackson and Taylor streets and can be purchased for $225,000, Trine said.
Trine believes an adjacent parking lot owned by Harris Bank could be swapped with a parking lot owned by the city at the intersection of Mulberry and Washington streets.
In recent weeks, a group of community leaders have proposed to move the YMCA to an area along Union and Sycamore streets. That plan would require $1,150,000 to purchase the necessary land for a new facility and parking. Don Button has agreed to donate a portion of his former downtown dealership to the project.
The group hoped that Howard County, the city of Kokomo and Center Township Trustee would each provide $300,000 for the project with $250,000 coming from the Urban Enterprise Association.
Earlier this month the commissioners voted not to provide $300,000 toward the project until a number of questions were answered.
Trine’s plan calls for the Kokomo/Howard County Public Library to purchase the YMCA building and the sale proceeds could then be used to purchase the Hoosier Wholesale property.
“Everyone would have to make concessions,” Trine said of his proposal. “This would be cost neutral to the taxpayers.”
Trine believes the Washington Street location is best for the YMCA.
Paul Wyman, a member of the group seeking to keep the YMCA in the downtown area, said several sites have been looked at for several years.
“There are some challenges with the site,” he said of Trine’s proposal.
“I’m glad Dave Trine is interested in finding a place for the YMCA in the downtown,” Wyman said. “The challenge we have when looking at alternate sites is parking.”
Wyman said developing additional parking in the downtown area would be costly and could potentially displace employees already parking in some of the existing sites.
The cost of demolishing the Hoosier Wholesale building and any possible environmental issues has not been considered, he said.
Ken de la Bastide can be reached at (765) 454 -8580 or via e-mail at ken.delabastide@kokomotribune.com
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