From the 5/31/06 PD (www.cleveland.com):

 

 

Officials to close Brooklyn Y, sell downtown site

Both facilities losing money

Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Grant Segall

Plain Dealer Reporter

 

Leaders of the debt-ridden YMCA of Greater Cleveland announced Tuesday they will close their Brooklyn branch by year's end and put their expensively renovated downtown branch up for sale.

 

The Y will continue its usual recreational and educational programs downtown, leasing the facilities on the building's lower floors. But it will stop programs at Brooklyn unless it can borrow space nearby for a few of them.

 

Also, it will probably have to oust occupants of Brooklyn's 48 apartments...

 

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

[email protected], 216-999-4187

 

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/114906433617700.xml&coll=2

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From same:

 

 

Greater Cleveland YMCA

Wednesday, May 31, 2006

 

The Greater Cleveland YMCA has closed or transferred five branches that were losing money in the past seven years. YMCA officials on Tuesday announced they will sell or close the Brooklyn branch and put the downtown branch up for sale. The Y has 10 other branches.

 

Here is the Y's financial stability plan:

 

* Downtown - Sell the building at 2200 Prospect Ave. to eliminate a $5.5 million debt. Residents in the 148 apartments will remain. Lease back space to continue programs, such as pool, gym, etc., as a downtown branch. The 152,390-square-foot building, with 2,401 members, was built in 1911 and renovated in 1998.

* Brooklyn - Sell or close the building at 3881 Pearl Road. Residents in the 48 apartments would probably have to move. The branch, with 60,000 square feet, was built in 1955 and has 959 members.

 

History of Y closings in the past decade:

 

* Cleveland Heights - Branch closed in 1999. Bought by Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library.

* Centerville Mills Camp - Sold in 2003 to Bainbridge Township.

* West Side Branch - Closed in 2004.

* Miles Avenue Branch - Ownership transferred to city of Cleveland in 2004.

* Glenville Branch - Ownership transferred to Wilson Military Academy in 2005.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1149080111262830.xml&coll=2

 

 

Anything going on with this site?  The have it fenced off and it looked like someone was doing something to the building a while back...The place bugs me every time I drive downtown...Soooo much potential...

I wrote an article about it last year, that the Brooklyn YMCA was being redeveloped with low-income, temporary housing or something like that. I haven't followed the project since. Sounds like I need to follow up...

Ah, I found it...For reference it can be found here:

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,13801.msg219702.html#msg219702