News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Putnam County YMCA seeking community input in a stakeholder survey, the first step in an eventual expansion project.
CEO Mandy Perhay said the current building was built in 1993, and back then it had been big enough for the members of the county. She said as the community has grown and as the membership has grown, the Y is now bursting at the seams.
“So we definitely need to look at what that next step is going to look like and we really look to the community to learn what we need and what we don’t need,” Perhay said. “So that way we can make the best plan moving forward to make sure we’re leaving a great legacy for those to come.”
Perhay said when it comes to the possibilities for the Y’s expansion, the list is endless. She said the biggest want they hear most often from the community is a gymnasium. Perhay said a space of that nature could help the community in terms of having a central shelter in the face of emergencies.
Perhay said they hope to wrap up the survey by mid to late August. She said after that, the YMCA will have a town hall-style meeting with community stakeholders such as the city and the county to discuss the next steps.
“Where we talk about what the survey’s findings are because what we don’t want to do is duplicate what someone else in our area is doing for service needs,” Perhay said. “So we want to make sure we’re adding to, not competing with. So once we have the town meeting we will bring those findings back and hopefully get working with architects and everyone else to design what our building is going to look like in the future.”
