Greensburg YMCA shows off its new look

Greensburg YMCA bet its money on downtown in an era when the trend has been to make a move to the suburbs.

“We needed to make a decision about whether we wanted to maintain the facility we're currently in, or, as so many Ys do, move into a suburban area,” said George O'Brien, who became CEO of the Y in 2012.

The Y chose downtown. Its more than $1 million investment to renovate its 102-year-old building on Maple Avenue — unveiled at a ribbon cutting Thursday — seems to have paid off.

“We hit a low point in late 2012, with the opening of LA Fitness, but since then we've seen steady growth,” O'Brien said.

The YMCA now has about 3,500 members, 1,500 more than it did three years ago.

Trustees and community members sat on bleachers in the humid swimming area Thursday evening to watch O'Brien dedicate the newly-renovated space, as regular patrons swam laps behind him.

The pools have new liners, there's a new spa and a family changing room, all installed in August.

Dave Rusnock, president of the YMCA board of directors, said the organization's leaders didn't just want to put a “bandage” on the aging building's problems. They wanted to create something that would last.

“If something needed fixed, we fixed it the right way,” he said.

Renovating the pool area cost more than $300,000, most of which was funded through a grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation.

O'Brien said a relatively small part of the renovation will likely have the biggest impact for members. The two new family changing rooms in a formerly unused part of the pool area should make life easier for parents and their young children, he said.

“It was very difficult for families with different genders of kids to get changed for swimming,” O'Brien said. “It may be one of the smallest price points and dollar amounts, but it may be the one that's the most impactful.”

Members of the Greensburg Salem School District girls' swim team cut the ribbon to dedicate the pool, then the onlookers filed upstairs from the steamy swimming room into the chilly evening air to see the next point of interest, and another ribbon to cut.

The Y just finished rebuilding its porch after more than two years of fundraising. The porch cost more than $206,000, and the newly-repaired facade cost $70,000.

Nobody remembers when the old porch was built, but workers tore it down and replaced it with something straight out of 1913. Jeannette architect and YMCA trustee Peter Cecconi used old photos of the building to recreate the way the porch looked 100 years ago.

Cecconi said he has been coming to the YMCA for the last 40 years. The classical-looking 1913 porch was created by his friend and mentor, Greensburg architect Paul Bartholomew.

“I'd like to think he would be happy with the result,' Cecconi said.

O'Brien said the Y's multifaceted approach has allowed it to survive for more than a century.

“We're much more than just a gym. We're much more than just child care,” he said. “We are very diversified, and we're not heavily reliant on one segment of our business.”

Westmoreland County Commissioner Charles Anderson, a former member of the board of directors, said the ribbon cutting was the culmination of years of effort.

“It was a daunting task,” he said. “Week after week, month after month, year after year of projects and improvements.”

Thursday's festivities do not mean work is over. The YMCA plans more repairs to its exterior, and more renovations to the swimming area.

Officials also want to improve the third and fourth floor, which serve as student housing for up to 40 students attending Seton Hill University and other institutions.

Rusnock, president of the board of directors, said he wants to install an elevator in the aging building, although this would require a large fundraising effort.

Though there is plenty of work left, O'Brien said the completion of the porch project marked the perfect time to celebrate.

“We are known as the front porch of the community. People come down the hill, and that's the first thing they see,” he said.

Jacob Tierney is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 724-836-6646 or jtierney@tribweb.com.