The Healthy Campus project is making progress although not all funding is in place yet, the Unified Government Commission heard at tonight’s 5 p.m. meeting.
As part of an update on the downtown Healthy Campus project, YMCA officials said they have raised about $11.5 million of a $16 million goal, and expect to raise the rest of the funds in the next few months.
The project would build a new YMCA along with a grocery store, according to UG officials, and the area around the buildings also would be developed. A process was begun in 2014 to work on a master plan for the Healthy Campus project, Mayor Mark Holland said. The challenge to doing the public participation part first is it started the clock ticking for expectations for the project, he added.
“My belief has been if we can move the needle of health in downtown Kansas City, Kansas, we can move the needle of health anywhere,” Mayor Holland said. He is excited that this might be a national model for health here.
Bill Crandall, managing principal of CBC Real Estate group, presented the proposal for the grocery store and nearby housing projects. CBC was hired through grants that were given to this project, the mayor said.
Crandall said five developers were identified for building housing downtown in connection with this project.
He said it was reassuring to know there are five developers who are interested in coming into downtown Kansas City, Kansas, and building housing.
Crandall said it has been challenging to attract retail development, but they are steadfast in finding a grocery store for the project. They’re looking at a full-service grocery store, possibly with a small café with it. The grocery store would serve the demographic and cultural needs of the downtown area, he said.
The project has considered traditional store operators, as well as smaller nontraditional store operators, he said.
He said the UG Commission will probably have to take the leadership to invest in the grocery store building, as it has in several other community projects.
David Byrd, president and CEO of the Greater Kansas City YMCA, said the plan has moved forward significantly since his last appearance at the UG.
“The community’s ready for it, we hear it every day as we talk to the community,” Byrd said.
He hopes to bring the project to fruition in the next few years, he said. The new Y would replace the existing 8th Street Y, which was built in 1913.
Mark Hulet, YMCA senior vice president of property, showed a preliminary concept diagram of the YMCA and the grocery store, with a parking lot and pedestrian area in the middle, and a storm sewer development on the other end of the YMCA. An architectural firm has prepared a preliminary drawing of the look of the project.
The YMCA building would have two levels, according to Hulett. The upper floor would have a recreation center and gym, a wellness center with cardiovascular strength training equipment, a group exercise studio, community rooms, a teaching kitchen and administrative area.
The lower floor would have a commons area, a kids zone for younger children and adventure area for older kids, a natatorium with two swimming pools, locker rooms and a party room, he said.
John Mikos, chief operating officer for the YMCA, said the whole idea of the new healthy campus is to improve the health of the community. It goes beyond basketball and swimming, although those programs will still be offered. The YMCA has been expanding its role in the health area and in the future will be working with population health management, he said, which is an integrated approach to health. Such areas as diabetes prevention, arthritis self-management cancer survivorship and other health programs will be offered.
Dr. Daphne Bascomb, YMCA senior vice president of community integrated health, said the YMCA can bring together physicians, clinicians and community members to coordinate care, share information, and to deliver health and coordinated care.
Byrd said the fundraising campaign for the YMCA has been successful. It originally had a $14 million goal, which was raised to $16 million. So far, they have raised $11.5 million, he said, and there are requests currently out, which they will expect to receive in 60 to 90 days. The project also will be using new market tax credits, he said. These funds apply only to the YMCA building, not to the grocery store building.
He said the new Linwood Y project was very successful, spending about $11.5 million and receiving almost $2 million in new market tax credits. Also, the Atchison Y project is under construction and will open in December, also to use tax credits.
During the next few months, the YMCA will try to close the gap in the funding, Byrd said. Major contributors so far include the Health Care Foundation, Hall Family Foundation, Capitol Federal, Sutherland Foundation and the William T. Kemper Foundation.
The largest gift so far to the campaign is the UG, which has pledged $6 million as a matching gift, if the Y can raise $6 million.
Byrd said the original feasibility study said about $3 million could be raised, which has been far exceeded. “I’m confident within the next few gaps, we’ll be well within closing the gap,” he said.
In the next 60 to 90 days, there will be a community campaign with an opportunity for smaller contributors to give toward the Y, he said. New market tax credits are expected to provide the ending boost for the rest of the funding needed.
