Jamestown YMCA VP of Operations John Barber presents to Jamestown Local Development Corporation (May 17, 2023)

The Jamestown YMCA is requesting $1 million in American Rescue Plan funds to construct a new facility on Harrison Street.

YMCA Vice President of Operations John Barber and Tom Benson presented to the Jamestown Local Development Corporation on their request of funding from the Non-Profit Business Grant Program.

Benson said the total project cost for the nearly 68,000 square foot facility is $30 million. He said there is currently $4 million committed from local foundations, “But we have three or four other sources of funding lined up, but we have to be able to go back to them and say, ‘Now we’ve got the city commitment, not just with a letter but with skin in the game.’ Go back to the state and try to get the state to commit. Then we have New Market Tax Credits, then we have tax rebond reissuance, then we have the (Ralph C.) Wilson Foundation who told us to come back when we had more commitment.”

Benson said there will come a time when the current East Fourth Street location will not be sustainable.

The new facility will include a childcare center, two pools, group exercise areas, a track for running and walking; gymnasium, and other exercise areas.

The Jamestown YWCA also presented a request of $145,714 for a three-year “Young Women Choosing Action” Program.

The program was developed by the national YWCA and is an “intersectional, culturally responsive, trauma-informed leadership program designed with the unique challenges and opportunities of low-income young women and young women of color, ages 13 to 19.”

Collaborative Children’s Solutions also presented on a request for $96,850 toward a peer-run mental health and substance use group that would be mainly operated at the Northwest Arena.

Wednesday’s presentations were the first three of eight that will come before the JLDC board before they are expected to vote in June on which non-profits will receive funding. The grant program was funded with $1.5 million.

John Barber

Barber said he’s taking over most of the responsibilities of former longtime Executive Director Mark Eckendorf, who retired after 44 years in June 2022.

He said the Jamestown Y entered into a one-year management agreement with the Buffalo Niagara YMCA in May 2022, “And so our CEO, that actual title, is John Erhbar of the Buffalo Niagara Y. But they named someone local to be able to manage all of our operations. So, I’m managing all of our operations for the Jamestown, Lakewood Y, our Heritage Child Care Center, Camp Onyahsa, and, of course, the meal programs flowing out of the Eastside Y.”

Barber started with the Jamestown YMCA 15 years ago as its Teen Center Director, “So, during that time I also added on responsibilities overseeing after school and summer programming for kids at Eastside Y, including expansion of summer and after school meal programs. And then I also am property manager for Fourth Street Housing, which is 19 HUD accessible units for the physically disabled, located on the third and fourth floors of the Y.”

Barber said when it comes to the management agreement, there are no changes to local operations at this point. He said there is a possibility of a merger of the Jamestown YMCA with the Buffalo Niagara YMCA at the end of the agreement in May 2023. He said the local board of directors will decide whether to continue the management agreement for another year, and merge with the Buffalo Niagara YMCA, or end the agreement.

Gebbie Foundation CEO Greg Edwards addresses Jamestown City Council (November 7, 2022)

The executive directors of the Community Foundation and Gebbie Foundation made pleas to Jamestown City Council to move forward with American Rescue Plan funding.

Chautauqua Region Community Foundation Executive Director Tory Irgang, speaking to Council, reminded them how CRCF helped compile the community feedback from public information sessions held in 2021 on how to use the ARPA funds.

She said it’s easy to adopt a “scarcity mindset,” “A time when partnerships and collaborations can be mistaken as weakness. However, we have proven in this community what can happen when we have an abundance mindset. We work through public, private partnerships every day to achieve tremendous results. And I encourage each of you to lean into that shared experience by aligning the remaining ARPA funding with community-based projects that have significant leveraging opportunities.”

Irgang said projects that had been evaluated and awarded other funding from government and philanthropic sources should be considered, “Projects that provide infrastructure and programming for children and young adults, projects that yield measurable results, deliver significant community benefit, and address challenges that are multi-faceted. As we know all too well in philanthropy, our needs are always greater than our resources, but we can meet so many more needs when we collaborate and work together.”

Gebbie Foundation CEO Greg Edwards said the city has been very successful at finding partners in its mission over the last 20 years, “Over the last 20 years, many times not-for-profits have willingly stepped up and the public-private entities have stepped up because they had seen how valuable our joint mission was and invested dramatically in trying to impact the future of the city in ways we could spend a great deal of time tonight celebrating this partnership between the city and these entities.”

Edwards encouraged funding for TheZone project at the Northwest Arena. He said the Gebbie Foundation has provided nearly $4 million in funding for that project. He also encouraged Council to support the new Jamestown YMCA project on Harrison Street.

Council member Marie Carrubba asked what the plans were for the current YMCA location on East Fourth Street.

Edwards replied that the 1929 structure is complicated with the Housing and Urban Development contract for housing that remains in place for at least 13 years, “But there have been significant conversations around how that could actually be a plus to other redevelopments potentially around the city and how that building itself could be reused. I had a conversation two months ago with a private developer who was interested in turning it into what we’ll call higher end housing because it does come with some amenities that other buildings don’t. I mean, having the gyms, the pools, those sorts of things that does provide opportunities, call it built in, that make it interesting.”

Council Member at Large Jeff Russell voiced support for a new YMCA facility.

Any funding for the projects mentioned by Edwards would possibly receive funding from the proposed Non-Profit Assistance Program. A resolution to fund that program with $1.5 million in ARP funds is still awaiting Council action.

Council member Andrew Faulkner questioned how much the 19A Home Ownership program could be funded with and still be successful. Director of Development Crystal Surdyk said $500,000 would be the absolute minimum. The current proposal is requesting $750,000.

Council member at large Russell asked why the city would contract with the Chautauqua County Land Bank for $1 million, of which 20% goes to administrative fees, when the city could do home demolitions itself.

Surdyk said $500,000 of the funds requested by the Land Bank would go to contractors to do the demolition work, with administration fees going to administer that program.

She said while the DOD can administer demolitions, as it has done in the past, there are now over 16 new programs the department is now administering on top of existing programs, “To administer effectively the demolition program and these and new grant programs that we have received over the last year, it’s just not feasible without hiring new staff, specifically to do demolition. So, we can contract with the Land Bank at a roughly 20% administrative fee which would ultimately be less than what we’d have to pay to employ somebody as a city employee.”

The Finance Committee tabled the resolutions related to funding the Chautauqua County Land Bank and 19A Home Ownership Program until the November 14 work session.

And DPW Director Jeff Lehman reported that leaf pickup is ahead of schedule with Phase 2 already underway this week. He said crews do plan to go back through the city again after the completion of Phase 2 to try to pick up any piles of leaves that were missed the first time.

2021 Annual Bill Briggs-Tim Grace Memorial Football Party

The Annual Bill Briggs-Tim Grace Memorial Football Party to benefit youth programming in Chautauqua County will be held Sunday, October 16.

The Greater Jamestown AM Rotary is hosting the event at Ellicottville Brewing Company in Bemus Point.

Doors will open at 3:00 p.m. with kickoff at 4:25 p.m. Tickets are $45 and include food and drink and the chance to win $1,000 in cash prizes. You do not need to be present to win.

Greater Jamestown AM Rotary purchases coats each year through the Salvation Army’s “Bundle Them Up” program and sponsors the Royal Family Kids Camp at Mission Meadows. With the money raised, Rotary has purchased equipment to implement the First Tee Community Golf Program in collaboration with the YMCA at Ring School, and helped purchase 1,800 backpacks with The Chautauqua Center for students K-12 in Chautauqua County earlier this year.

To purchase tickets please contact any Greater Jamestown AM Rotarian or call 716-485-3933.

Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist and City Council President Tony Dolce at City Council’s Work Session on August 22, 2022

The City of Jamestown is developing an application process for non-profits who want to request American Rescue Plan funds.

Mayor Eddie Sundquist said his administration and City Council have received a lot of requests, most in the form of presentations, requesting allocations of ARPA funds for organizations that are non-profits.

Organizations that have presented to Council in recent months asking for fund include the Jamestown YMCA, the Jamestown Public Market, the ZONE at the Northwest Arena, and the Chautauqua County Land Bank Corporation.

City Director of Development Crystal Surdyk said the application was developed based on discussions with the Mayor and Council President Tony Dolce and the form is based on business grant applications the city has, “We suggested that $1.5 million be allocated to the program. Grants not exceed $200,000. However, anything that might receive consideration for over $200,000 would be subject to a PILOT agreement with the city. Details to be determined, finalized based on discussion we might have.”
Surdyk said organizations would still need to provide information proving hardship and how the funding would address their organization’s recovery from the pandemic.

Sundquist said recognizing that non-profits do not pay taxes, the draft does include a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes for organizations receiving over $200,000 “Which would mean you’d pay, the organization would pay, a percentage of what their tax burden would be as a not-for-profit. So we initially had some discussion about 2.5% of what your tax bill would normally have been as a not-for-profit.”
Sundquist said non-profits would then have some “skin in the game.”

Councilmember Marie Carrubba requested that organizations who received PPE loans be put in a lower category for approval of funds. Surdyk agreed and that the suggestion made sense.

Sundquist and Surdyk both requested City Council provide additional input on the application so that it can move forward.

The Jamestown Parks, Recreation, and Conservation Department said while the playground program is ending today, August 5, that the summer feeding program through the Jamestown YMCA will continue through the end of August.

The free lunch program will take place Monday through Friday, between 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. at Lillian Dickson Park. The meals are available to children ages 18 and under.

The Parks Department announced that due to the low number of children attending the program at Jackson-Taylor Park, the playground program will be held solely at Lillian Dickson Park on Falconer Street until the program ends on August 12th.

Program hours will remain the same at 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The free summer lunch program, provided by the YMCA, will continue to be distributed at both the Lillian Dickson Park as well as the Jackson-Taylor Park between 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Participating children will need to sign up each day in order to receive lunch for the following day. The meals are available to children ages 18 and under.

Jamestown Summer Playground Program (Photo by Jamestown Parks & Rec, 2018)

The Jamestown Parks and Rec‘s Summer Playground Program returns this season after being on hiatus for two years due to the Pandemic.

The program will take place at two playground sites that will rotate between Jackson-Taylor Park on Tuesday and Thursdays and at Lillian Dickson Park on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays. The days are subject to change depending on attendance numbers. The program will be staffed by five college-age residents.

The playground program is free and also will include a free lunch program between noon and 1:00 p.m. at each site provided by the Jamestown YMCA. Participating children will need to sign up each day in order to receive lunch for the following day. The meals will be available to children ages 18 and under.

The program for kids ages 5 to 13 will run from Monday, June 27th through Friday, August 12th between the hours of 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Children must register the first time they attend their playground site. They are free to come and go as they wish after that point.

Activities will include bowling, a talent show, carnival, and the Playground Olympics. There will be arts and crafts; as well as games such as mancala, kickball, soccer, and wiffle ball. Equipment will be available at each playground site for the children to play with at any time.

The Nature Day field trip that will feature a tree planting will take place at the Lillian Dickson Park this year. The Parks and Rec Department is collaborating again with the James Prendergast Library to offer the Summer Reading Program at both playground program sites.

For more information, contact the Parks and Recreation Office at (716) 483-7523.

Tom Benson presents to City Council on new Jamestown YMCA facility plan (May 16, 2022)

The Jamestown YMCA shared their initial proposal with Jamestown City Council to build a $31 million new facility on Harrison Street, requesting $2 million in funding from the City.

Tom Benson presented on behalf of the Jamestown YMCA to council at its work session Monday night. He said the site on Harrison Street is a brownfield site and will receive tax credits to help offset construction costs. Benson said the Jamestown Y purchased the site for $1 from the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency and it’s shovel ready. He said a benefit of the location is that it’s close to the high school and to the city’s eastside.

Benson said the existing YMCA facility on East Fourth Street is one hundred years old and is not sustainable, “If we’re not successful raising the money to build this facility, the existing Y will be gone within two to three years. It’s just not sustainable. So this is kind of an all or nothing project.”

Benson said the organization is hoping to get $5 million of the funding from local foundations as well as support from the city, which he says is critical, “We have to be able to say to New York State, other foundations like the (Ralph C.) Wilson Foundation, other funding sources that this is an important project locally and here’s who’s in and have shown support. We haven’t had a chance to officially ask the city for anything yet, but we’re hopefully going to get to the point where we’re asking the city for $2 million out of the Federal recovery funds.”

Benson said the nearly 68,000 square foot facility will include 10,000 square feet of childcare space on the first floor, “So that’s enough for 90 kids. The Y is also going to keep its existing childcare space over on Prather, so that 90 spaces is incremental space.”

The facility also will include two pools, group exercise areas, a track for running and walking; gymnasium, and other exercise areas.

Benson added that Jamestown YMCA has entered into a management agreement with the Greater Buffalo YMCA.

If the project moves forward, he says there has been discussion to have the Gebbie Foundation “mothball” the East Fourth Street facility with the Lakewood location being turned into a rental-only facility for those wanting to use the tennis courts or other spaces. The Eastside Y location would have its programs moved and kitchen facility expanded.

The Jamestown Y has plans to build a $26 million dollar facility to replace their current facility on East Fourth Street in downtown Jamestown.

The two parcels, owned by the IDA, are being sold for their assessed value of $29-thousand dollars. The space is 2.89 acres and is located on the north side of Harrison Street from Winsor Street to Pheonix Metal.

Amenities the Jamestown YMCA hopes to offer in the new facility include an indoor track, two pools, full-size gymnasium, a childcare center, and outdoor fields.