By Ed Karvoski Jr., Contributing Writer
Westborough – Following a particularly successful summer camp season, the Boroughs Family Branch YMCA in Westborough is set for an approximately $4 million construction project including a two-story addition and a new outdoor aquatics center. The facility’s six-lane indoor swimming pool has been popular since the Boroughs Y opened in November 2002, noted Betsy Moquin, the director of marketing and advancement.
“The pool is really one of the hubs here at the Y that gets the most use,” she said. “Depending upon the season, we have anywhere from 1,100 to 1,300 kids a week in youth swim lessons. That doesn’t count adult lessons, water aerobics classes, lap swims and family swims. For a long time, staff observations and members’ comments have been that we need another pool.”
A survey is conducted annually among Y members by a third-party company. Open-ended questions have prompted many suggestions for a second pool, some of which specified outdoors. The pool usage increases with youth summer camps – particularly this year.
“During the summer, we have all these additional campers, so we need to set aside a certain number of lanes during particular times of the day,” Moquin explained. “With 2015 being our busiest camp season ever, the timing is perfect for this construction to begin.”
The new 14,000-square-foot outdoor aquatics center will include a large L-shaped swimming pool, a splash pad with fountains and play areas, and a pool house with restrooms. The splash pad is expected to be a welcomed attraction by both the young campers and the staff including Christie D’Amico, the early childhood director.
“Christie runs the camp for the younger kids and she does a lot of water play outdoors with them,” Moquin said. “How great will it be for the kids to be able to enjoy playing in a beautiful splash pad?”
The construction project also includes an approximately 4,000-square-foot addition to the existing building, which will expand the multipurpose wellness space for group exercise, functional training and other activities. The addition will also provide a home for LIVESTRONG® at the YMCA.
Launched nationally in 2008, LIVESTRONG began at the Boroughs Y in 2013. The free, 12-week program helps cancer survivors and caregivers strengthen their bodies and minds. The program’s local coordinator is Christine Salovardos.
“Christine will get first dibs at scheduling LIVESTRONG groups in there,” Moquin said of the new space. “It’s an exciting prospect for growing that program even further.”
The construction project is being funded through a capital campaign, which began over a year ago with staff and board members.
“At the Boroughs Y, our challenge is to raise half a million dollars for the project that will cost about $4 million,” Moquin explained. “We’re closing in on $175,000, so we’re a good chunk of the way toward the goal. The next phase is to reach out to the membership and the community at large.”
This is the second major construction project at the Boroughs Y since it opened in 2002. Groundbreaking for the previous expansion took place in August 2008 and it opened in January 2009.
“It’s important to upgrade the facilities every five to 10 years,” Moquin noted. “Sometimes you just need a little more elbow room, which is a good problem to have because it means that you’re growing.”
The current construction project is expected to be completed in February 2016. Plans are underway for a celebration at the outdoor aquatics center Memorial Day weekend 2016.
For more information about this and construction projects at other YMCA of Central Massachusetts branches, and to donate to the capital campaign, visit ymcaofcm.org/capital-improvements.
(Images/submitted)
