Local YMCA needs $7 million to build new lit turf sports fields. How close are they?
The YMCA thought they’d have the $7 million by now that they need for their portion of the new Gig Harbor Sports Complex, but fundraising is still active.
The $10.5 million project is going to be built in three phases on 30 acres along Harbor Hill Drive, to the north, south and southwest of the Tom Taylor Family YMCA at 10550 Harbor Hill Dr.
Phase 1A and 1B are on the property that the city purchased in 2018 for $3.5 million. The city partnered with the YMCA on the project. The nonprofit signed a lease agreement with the city in 2021 for the land.
Phase 1A is the YMCA’s portion of the project and upgrades two existing fields at the YMCA to lit turf fields, estimated to cost $7 million. Construction will not begin until the YMCA raises the full $7 million for the project.
The YMCA hoped to have fundraising complete by June 2023, Charlie Davis, CEO of the YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties, said on the Nov. 4, 2022 Gig-a-Byte podcast with Gig Harbor Mayor Tracie Markley.
To date the YMCA has raised $3.6 million, according to the YMCA website.
Jessie Palmer, a spokesperson for the YMCA, told the Gateway Friday that the $3.6 million they’ve raised is made up of $1.6 million that the YMCA raised and a $2 million contribution coming from the city.
In an August Gig-a-Byte newsletter from Mayor Markley, she said the city was considering a $2 million councilmanic bond to help the YMCA with its fundraising efforts.
A councilmanic bond is one passed by the city, where they could increase taxes for residents, in order to pay off the bond and fund a public project.
On Wednesday, Jeff Langhelm, public works director for the city, told the Gateway that the city is considering other options, too — including asking the state Legislature for money.
When asked how much they plan to ask for in the upcoming legislative session, Langhelm said the amount hasn’t been finalized yet, but he expects it to be somewhere near $2 million for the sports complex. The money would go toward the YMCA’s $7 million goal for Phase 1A of the project, he said.
Langhelm said $7 million is a large amount of money for any one entity to pay, and that post-COVID fundraising has been a challenge for many.
The YMCA is a nonprofit and doesn’t have the opportunity to issue a bond, but the city does. The city also has opportunities to work with the state Legislature in a different way than the nonprofit.
The city wants to do what they can do help out, Langhelm said.
If the YMCA receives $2 million from whatever the city decides to pursue, then the YMCA would still need to raise an additional $3.4 million after that.
Palmer said they are confident they’ll get the full $7 million. They have been promoting the project, and hosting events with “lead donor prospects,” he said.
“Everyone we’ve talked to about the project is totally in support,” Palmer said. “They have kids or grandkids in the harbor. And so they know the need for lit turf fields.”
When asked about an updated timeline for Phase 1A, Palmer said that’s dependent on when they can raise the full amount needed. He added it’s unlikely construction will start next year, but that he and the rest of the YMCA staff have not ruled it out as a possibility.
Phase 1A was originally expected to be finished by December 2024, according to the city’s website.
The YMCA is working with the city to alter its current lease agreement to give the YMCA an extra year to complete the project, Palmer said.
Under the current terms the YMCA had “until spring 2023 to raise the funds and begin construction of the project,” according to the YMCA website.
Phase 1B expected to start, trees coming down
The remaining phases — Phase 1B, Phase 2 and Phase 3 — are the city’s projects.
Phase 1B is when the playground, pickleball courts, bocce ball courts, a restroom and concessions building, performance stage, an event lawn, and picnic shelters will be built.
The total cost for Phase 1B is estimated to be $3.8 million and construction was supposed to start in summer 2023. The city now estimates the project will go to bid in early 2024, and they will break ground in the spring of 2024, Langhelm said.
Langhelm said the work will take about a year to finish.
When asked about tree removal, Jennifer Haro, parks manager for the city, said they’ve finalized the number of trees that will need to come down for Phase 1B.
For Phase 1B 206 trees will be removed, and they will replant 103 trees on site.
“We are working on options for not just replanting, to meet the minimum code requirements, but to go above and beyond and to do more replanting than what’s required,” Haro told the Gateway Wednesday, Dec. 27.
Trees will come down once they break ground in spring of 2024.
Additionally, the city is working with the Gig Harbor Land Conservation Fund to finalize a plan for some citizens to come to the site and take trees to replant from a small native vegetation section, that will need to be pulled out so they can grade for Phase 1B, Langhelm and Haro said.
The native vegetation includes seedlings and things that don’t count as significant trees, Haro said.
Four additional lit turf fields will be built on the sports complex property in Phase 2 and 3, putting the total at six for the entire project.
Phase 2 will upgrade two existing Peninsula Light Fields with turf. They are “currently leased by Gig Harbor Little League,” according to the city’s website.
Phase 3 will build two new lit turf fields.
Currently the city is in the stage of working through a feasibility study for Phase 2 and 3.
Some revised plans and cost estimates recommended by stakeholders will be shared with the City Council at the upcoming Jan. 18 study session meeting, Haro said. There are no budget or timeline specifics for Phase 2 and 3 that Haro could share at this time.
The stakeholder group for the project includes members of the Peninsula School District and Peninsula Metropolitan Parks, which are the two biggest providers of fields in the greater Gig Harbor area.
“They are at capacity all the time,” Haro said about PSD and PenMet.
She said there’s definitely a need for additional fields, but especially lit turf fields, so they can be used year round.
Jason Jarrett, technical director and general manager at Harbor Soccer Club, previously told the Gateway that building the sports complex in the next few years will only begin to address wait lists that recreational sports groups are facing in Gig Harbor.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to clarify that the YMCA staff has not ruled out the possibility of starting construction sometime in 2024 for Phase 1A of the Gig Harbor Sports Complex. The story has also been updated to reflect that the City Council study session about Phases 2 and 3 has been moved to Jan. 18.
This story was originally published January 2, 2024 at 5:15 AM.
