A Mahackeno Primer for Westonites

"All the negative stuff is behind us," said a smiling Rob Reeves on a recent sultry summer morning in the administrative offices of the Westport YMCA. "We've moved on — to fundraising."

After several years of victories with commissions, committees, appeals and the Stamford Superior Court, the YMCA is actively moving toward construction of a new facility on the Mahackeno campus, located off exit 41 of the Merritt Parkway.

Reeves, the Westport Weston YMCA's CEO, said that construction of the new facility will begin in fall 2012 and will last an estimated 20 months, while costing between $49 and $53 million dollars. The Y is actively courting donors and must raise over $20 million dollars over a the next 3 years.

Robert A.M. Stern, a well-known and highly regarded architect, designed the facility. 

Stern "was the only architect that sited the facility into the hillside," Reeves said. "The plan made excellent use of the green space [on the site]. Everyone else built a big facility on the flat area."

Reeves said that although the building will be more costly to construct because of the hillside location, Stern's plan made better use of the surrounding space, and was selected as a result.

YMCA Communications Director Scott Smith envisioned "a place where parents can drop their kids off, then go for a run on one of the facility's nature trails."

Y management expects that the new, campus-like facility will better accommodate all member populations, from families with small children to teenagers and young adults to the elderly and handicapped.

"The Bedford building, where we are now, has no means to accommodate gatherings, and has terrible handicapped access," Reeves said. "We are here more through tradition instead of [having] actual space. It's going to be a destination, and will give us an opportunity to add services."

The services that the Y provides to the community are already impressive, with gymnastics, swim, dance and basketball teams earning notoriety for their achievements.

Still, the cost of the project has raised eyebrows, and Reeves acknowledges that if they cannot raise the money for the new facility, it's either "a new Y or no Y."

"We've gotta fundraise," Reeves said, noting that donors have been "very receptive," and include one 7-figure donor.

"We need the community to do this," he added.

The Y has already reached an agreement to sell the downtown Westport facility for $20,000,000 and has raised an additional $6,000,000.

The building's construction in all likelihood will begin prior to the end of the fundraising effort, though a combination of short- and long-term financing.

"Our borrowing is going to be very conservative," Reeves said, noting their ability to pay back long-term debt and that top YMCA leadership is fiscally conservative.

The Y is not counting on new members or sharply increased dues to help fund the plans, with Reeves commenting that they used current enrollment numbers when estimating future revenue.

Although Y management is not counting on extra revenue to fund the building, they are planning for extra traffic around exit 41 near the entrance to the site.

Local traffic consultant Mike Galante is managing the traffic plan for the Mahackeno campus, which includes lane expansions and smart signals. An independent review and the state's Department of Transportation reviewed the plan and agreed that it met their standards.

Reeves did acknowledge the need to "increase adult membership. We need to be closer to 50 percent adult membership."

A current initiative is offering free memberships to all seventh-grade students in Westport and Weston. Signing up requires school identification and a parent's permission. The Y is also operating a Summer Sunday program at Mahackeno.