Downtown Now: YMCA Creates a Community-Based Experience

When you’re the subject of a 40-year-old hit disco song that is identifiable even by millennials who spell the letters “Y-M-C-A” with their arms when they hear it, it’s safe to say you’re an icon. But when it comes to the actual YMCA, it can conjure the notion of an old-timey institution to some people. But a look at the new Downtown YMCA blows that impression clear out of the water. It’s glorious.

Located at 1301 E. Ninth St., the Parker Hannifin Downtown YMCA opened in March 2016 It boasts a fully equipped wellness center, 25-yard lap pool with three lanes, hot tub, sauna, steam room, free weights, as well as cycling, yoga (including hot yoga) and Pilates studios, group exercise classes, personal training, programs for cancer survivors, diabetes prevention and weight loss opportunities, spaces for wellness assessments and health screenings with an on-site physician and much more. It’s the total fitness and wellness facility.

In a saturated fitness industry that has splintered off into a dizzying spectrum of boutique trends, there is something for everyone, but under different roofs (and at different costs) with many of them coming and going with the trends. At the Y, there’s something for everyone all under one roof, and it’s still standing after more than 165 years. 

With the downtown location, the key word is “community.” There were the expected business commuters coming in for a workout during lunch or after work. But during the last year, the Downtown YMCA has seen more Downtown Cleveland residents and families, growing from 1,000 to 1,800 memberships. As the residential population of Downtown Cleveland hits the 15,000 milestone, the Y is primed to grow with the community and have 10 percent of it among its members.

“We listen to the community, adapt to the needs and provide,” says Timothy Hilk, CEO of the Greater Cleveland YMCA. “Beyond that, we have tried to help be a catalyst for change in the downtown market.” The Y is actively working to make Downtown Cleveland a community-based experience rather than a commuter-based experience with nice amenities. Rather than strive for more members for the sake of more members, the goal is to engage with the Downtown Cleveland community and build relationships with members like a family. “We want to create the best you possible so we can create the best community possible.”

When asked if the Young Men’s Christian Association had a religious affiliation, Hilk says, “It’s about Christian principles, and using them to build a healthy spirit, mind and body for all.” And the emphasis is on all. At the Y, inclusiveness is the mode, and everyone
is welcome.  

The Parker Hannifin Downtown YMCA is a welcome asset to the community of Downtown Cleveland.  

clevelandymca.org