ALMH & YMCA partner for new $27 million facility in Lincoln

 

[February 21, 2019] 

If all goes as planned, the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital and Lincoln YMCA will open a new ‘Y’ on Woodlawn Road in Lincoln in 2020.

This week ALMH Administrator Dolan Dalpoas, who is also a YMCA board member, shared a plan with the Lincoln City Council that’s been four years in the making.

A new 80,000 square foot facility would offer state-of-the -art amenities, as well as health and wellness programs, and child daycare.

Dalpoas addressed the council first offering a bit of background. He noted that the “stage was set” in 2008 for ALMH to do great things in the city of Lincoln. He said that as administrators looked at the current healthcare and medical practices in general, they knew that for ALMH to be proactive it had to take “bold action” within the community. The first result of that conclusion was a new hospital on the city’s west side that opened in 2011.

Dalpoas said since that time ALMH has seen much growth and success, but he added, “as good as it is, we can do more.”

Dalpoas went on to explain that the missions of the YMCA and ALMH are well aligned, and the two are natural partners in offering this new type of facility. He said that once again, it was time to take bold action to keep the hospital, the YMCA, and the community moving forward.

Dalpoas explained that the drafted plan for the new facility which includes ample parking would cost approximately $27 million.

Lead architect Paul Wheeler, representing FWAI Architects, Inc., walked through the floor plan for the new structure.

The Y would be built facing Woodlawn Road on the site of the former Crossroads Motel. That lot is located on the south side of Woodlawn between the Chris Coyne State Farm Insurance office and the Lincoln, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram vehicle dealership. The building would be set back off the road with parking in front.

The front of the building would be mostly glass drawing attention to the amenities featured inside.

The back portion of the building includes a competition sized swimming pool that would be utilized by Lincoln College, Lincoln Community High School, age-group swimmers, as well the public.

In addition to the large pool, there would be a smaller pool on the ground floor that can be utilized for children and also for water therapy. Wheeler also explained that the pool would be a two-story area for diving and other competitive swimming needs.

The ground floor would also house a designated area for physical therapy and rehab.

In addition to these, there would be two studios for aerobics, a café for socializing, locker areas and a daycare facility with capacity for 80 children.

The second floor of the building would house a running/walking track and additional exercise areas.

City Clerk Peggy Bateman asked about the daycare, would it just be for ALMH employees?

Dalpoas said it would be a community program open to anyone who wished to participate. The daycare would also be managed by the Y.

Jeff Hoinacki asked about the timeline for the project. Dalpoas said that the goal is to break ground late spring early summer and to open in 2020. He said those plans were not concrete yet because there was a lot to do to get to the building stage. He added that the hospital and Y also need time to raise awareness for philanthropy opportunities.

Ron Keller asked if the Y has shared its plans with the Lincoln Park District, and were there going to be conflicts of services there?

Dalpoas said that there have been discussions with the park district. He said that ALMH has always valued the many relationships and partnerships it has in the community including working with the Logan County Fair Association for the ALMH Market, the city of Lincoln, the Logan County Department of Public Health and others. He said that the park district knows what the plan is and that ALMH and the Y have been very transparent about the plan, giving the park district time to take the new Y into consideration in their own long-term planning.

Ron Fleshman asked what was going to happen to the current YMCA facility on Wyatt Avenue?

Dalpoas said it was too early to tell what would develop there.

Keller asked what the membership costs would be in the future?

Dalpoas said that had not yet been determined, but he would say that the goal is to make the facility affordable for all income levels. He added that the new facility would open the door for more scholarship opportunities for the children’s programs.

While the introduction of the new venture required no action from the council, Dalpoas did say that he would like to have a discussion in the future with the city concerning Stahlhut Drive. He said it would be an opportunity for a partnership between the city and ALMH. While he was wrapping up, Wheeler distributed a handout pertaining to Stahlhut Drive for aldermen to consider in the meantime.

An audience member asked if there were other communities that were doing this same type of partnership?

Dalpoas said that it is not at all uncommon for Y’s to partner with hospitals. He noted that there is a project underway right now in Springfield, and he thinks there is one in Bloomington. Dalpoas said there was a similar partnership between the Morris YMCA and the Morris Hospital and Healthcare System.

*Note: Morris is located in northern Illinois close to Joliet and has a population of 14,651. The Morris YMCA is a branch of the Greater Joliet Area YMCA.

[Nila Smith]