Flushing Y to be un-common

Flushing Commons, a mixed-use development projected to rise in the heart of downtown Flushing, boasts green spaces and amenities for the public, but the most significant public benefit doesn’t show up on the renderings – a brand-new Flushing YMCA.
The Flushing Y is slated to leave its home of more than 84 years, on Northern Boulevard and Bowne Street, for a 62,000 square foot space in the complex.
“This is going to be state-of-the-art,” said William Nelson, Executive Director for the Flushing Y. “It will be a family-friendly facility with flexible-use space.” One of the dedicated spaces will be for an expanded youth and teen center.
“The center will give us the capacity to serve many, many more young people than we do now,” Nelson said, projecting that the number would rise to 14,000 a year – from the current 4,000.
Another feature of which Nelson is especially proud is that one of the two pools in the Y’s new home is especially designed for family use. “It’s a ‘zero-depth-entry’ pool with play features. It’s perfect for engaging the youngest family members,” he explained.
All of these wonderful amenities for the local community come at a price – the new Y will not offer temporary residential accommodations.
“A lot of things have changed since we were founded in 1852,” said Kevin Shermach, Senior Executive Director of Communications for the Greater New York Y. “We felt our new operating model had to be more focused on serving the needs of the community now and going forward.”
“We have an opportunity to build a brand-new Y for a new century,” Shermach said, pointing out that the cost of maintaining and operating the nearly century-old building was diverting precious resources from programs.
When the space is finally completed, the Y will purchase it as a commercial condominium. “The shared-efficiencies of the new construction will really help us,” he said.
“The timing, of course, depends on the completion of the new project and the sale of the existing building,” said Paul Custer, Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of the Greater New York Y. “We need to sell the old building because fitting out a top-tier facility like the one we’re planning is a fairly expensive project.”
Custer should know. He leads the Y’s strategic planning and new facility development including recently completed projects in Brooklyn and Manhattan’s Chinatown, as well as the ongoing project in Arverne.
For more information on the Flushing YMCA, call 718-961-6880 or visit www.ymcanyc.org.