Birmingham seeks feedback to guide design for new facility

BIRMINGHAM — The city of Birmingham, Birmingham Next and the YMCA recently issued a survey seeking community input on what residents want to see in the new building that will sit on 400 E. Lincoln, the current YMCA property.

In July 2023, the city of Birmingham bought the YMCA property for  $1.5 million, with Birmingham Next contributing $500,000.

At the time, the intent was to renovate the building and use it for senior services and some community services.

However, after a thorough inspection of the building, the City Commission decided that it was not worth renovating due to an excess of aged and outdated systems. Instead, they decided to demolish the existing building and build a new facility.

Since that decision was made, the new leadership at the YMCA and the community have spoken out to the Commission about their interest in the YMCA having a bigger presence in Birmingham — specifically the pool.

This led the Commission to include the YMCA in plans moving forward.

Christine Braun, the executive director of Birmingham Next, shared details.

“The building now will be a city asset that will have a few tenants in the building. The YMCA will be one tenant, we (Next) will be another tenant, and then there will be time and space for community members to use it for a variety of activities,” Braun said.

It is yet to be determined if there will be city offices in the building.

In December, the City Commission hired Neumann Smith, an architecture firm, to work out the design of the building.

“It is a limited land that we’re on, so you have to be very conscientious of how you design the building and how you meet the needs of three different groups there — seniors, the YMCA members, as well as the community,” Braun said.

With this in mind, Smith wanted to reissue a survey to the community to receive feedback.

Due to the shift in plans, a previous survey is no longer deemed to be practical.

Braun said that Next acts as a comprehensive and safe gathering space for seniors.

In the new building, there will be dedicated spaces for both Next and the YMCA, but with shared spaces as well.

Next’s current lease ends in May of 2027, so the plan is to be in the new building after that.

Next Board President Marcia Wilkinson said that the priority is to “continue to be involved in the process and to continue our advocacy for area seniors.”

“With the new facility and expanded square footage for Next, we will be able to provide even more services to area seniors,” Wilkinson said. “We do quite a bit of outreach, along with our regular programming, and it’s critical that we have adequate space to provide those important services.

Although the Engage Birmingham survey has closed, public members still have opportunities to share their opinions via City Commission meetings and meetings held by the Ad Hoc Senior/Recreation Center Committee.