STROUDSBURG, Pa. — Whether it's running on the treadmill, lifting weights in the gym, or dancing in a Zumba class, the facilities at Pocono Family YMCA on Main Street in Stroudsburg are used daily.
Now, efforts are underway to update and upgrade the amenities.
"Several years of planning. Yeah, and the excitement is building all the time today. We've had our architects actually come in and do measurements. So we're seeing the progress of a lot of years of work," Beth Yaswinski, Pocono Family YMCA director of finance, said.
Yaswinski said through state grants, the renovation project is starting to move forward. The most recent grant was $750,000.
The taxpayer-funded grant comes from the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, which provides state funding for improvement projects.
"Some of it will go to land development. Some of it will go through the vertical build, hopefully, cover a lot of those expenses along the way and keep it moving forward," Yaswinski said.
Parts of the building have been around for more than 100 years. Employees said that's why the renovation is desperately needed.
"With the new build, we can expand our programming. Which will reach a lot more families," Yaswinski said. "I mean, everyone knows that we do our work with childcare, and swim lessons, and working with seniors, but we can reach a lot more people."
The renovation will include expanding the building to Williams street and knocking down the Dunkin Donuts that sits there now. The YMCA owns the property where Dunkin is located.
"We have PennDOT studies happening as we speak, so you will start seeing some movement around the building as we prepare," Yaswinski said. "We do plan to stay open, so we are working through the logistics of how this is going to happen."
The YMCA will present plans to the borough starting next month. If all goes well, renovations are expected to start in 2023.
See news happening? Text our Newstip Hotline.