Walkerville YMCA to get the boot next year
The popular YMCA, visited by tens of thousands of people, will be evicted from its premises.
City
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Walkerville YMCA will be booted out of its Smith St home at the end of next year, despite thousands of members and supporters rallying to keep it open.
Walkerville Council has confirmed the Inner North East of Adelaide YMCA (INEA) – which is used by more than 60,000 people a year, and is a popular children’s party venue – will be evicted in December 2020.
The council, which owns the site, will instead focus on building a “hub” on nearby Walkerville Oval to service sporting clubs and the wider community.
That hub, which the YMCA could potentially be a part of, was proposed in the oval’s redevelopment plan.
It ends years of uncertainty for INEA, which has tried to secure “tenure” at the Smith St site for almost 10 years.
INEA chief executive Colin Organ said the organisation would campaign for the lease to be extended.
“We would love to stay in Walkerville to provide and run community programs,” Mr Organ said.
Mr Organ said any hub on the oval was unlikely to accommodate all the services it currently provides.
Almost 4000 YMCA members and supporters have signed petitions calling on the council to allow the centre to stay at its Walkerville home.
“Where will all these people go if the council closes the community facility?” one of the petitions said.
“Our participants come from all walks of life and include children with special needs, autism participants and we employ staff with special needs to give them vital employment opportunities.”
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The council has confirmed it is looking to use the YMCA site for another venture.
Walkerville chief executive Kiki Magro said the YMCA was welcome to contact the council about being involved in the proposed hub.
“It does not prevent or deter YMCA South Australia or INEA talking to us about (its) current facilities … and transferring those into any new building,” Ms Magro said.
Walkerville Council Mayor Elizabeth Fricker confirmed the Smith St site would be kept for some sort of community use.
INEA first raised concerns about its future in 2011 after the council only granted a three-year lease, rather than 10 years. It has been on short-term leases ever since.
The organisation runs programs including gymnastics, vacation care, gym, futsal, creche, vacation care and birthday parties.
The community is currently being consulted about what it would like to see in the proposed hub.
Responses close on Friday, December 6, 2019.
