After more than 50 years, the YMCA in downtown Davenport is going to move. Tonight, the Y at Second and Gaines at the foot of the Centennial Bridge will close, and in a week its replacement will open at 4th Street and River Drive.
Brad Martell, President and CEO of the YMCA of the Iowa Mississippi Valley, says the Y bought the new site in 2012.
"At that time I think in 2012 the Y was going to be built down on the street. And we got a drone and we took it up three stories and we really liked the sight lines so we decided let's build the Y up on the bluff."
He says the old facility opened in 1964 with 98,000 square feet, but only half of it was really usable. The new one has 75,000 square feet.
[asset-images[{"caption": "the new YMCA, up "on the bluff," at 4th Street and River Drive", "fid": "56283", "style": "placed_left", "uri": "public://202012/ymca_new_4.jpg", "attribution": ""}]]"All of it is very usable space highlighted by a three-story atrium in the middle of the building and a 5,000 square foot group exercise studio that overlooks the Mississippi River."
New features in the new Y include a five-lane lap pool and a one-eighth mile running track.
The 1964 facility officially closes tonight at 8, and the new one opens in a week, on Monday December 21st.