Woodbridge officials are preparing to take over a number of YMCA-run services at the Woodbridge Community Center. The move will give the township full control of the 115,000-square-foot recreational haven off Main Street.
The YMCA of Metuchen, Edison, Woodbridge and South Amboy has operated a branch in a portion of the facility for nearly 12 years, said Scott Lewis, president and CEO of the local arm of the nonprofit organization. That will likely come to an end on Nov. 1, an early-exit date that Woodbridge and YMCA officials expect to approve within the next week, he said.
A management agreement between both entities initially secured the YMCA’s presence in the community center until March 31, 2014, Lewis said. But a set of cloudy circumstances hindered renewal discussions and led to the premature conclusion, Lewis said.
“In renegotiating the next lease — or at least talking about it — we wanted to change the lease structure from a management agreement to a straight lease,” Lewis said. “… Before we could get that far into the discussion about changing our operating agreement, [township officials] already made up their minds, I believe, that they wanted to run it without us.”
At the outset, Lewis told Woodbridge officials that the organization could no longer function in the community center under the terms of the existing contract due to a new national policy, he said. After several discussions, though, national YMCA leaders gave Lewis the nod to strike another management agreement, he said.
By that time, Mayor John McCormac and his team decided to assume control of all aspects of the center, Lewis said. He acknowledged that the township had the right to do so, since it owns the building.
McCormac first said the transfer of power came solely as a result of the YMCA’s requirement that local chapters own the facilities in which they operate branches.
Township spokesman John Hagerty later said the move came about due to demands made by the YMCA early in the renegotiation process and a readiness by the township to take on all aspects of the community center.
“The Y had certain demands and needs as far as utilization of the space regarding their corporate policies. The township was looking at the renegotiation as a possibility to take over and assume operations,” Hagerty said. “Basically, we stepped up and said, ‘You know what? It’s time for the town to move forward.’”
Hagerty acknowledged that the YMCA could have ultimately continued to work in the building.
Although Lewis said he would have preferred to hold on to the Woodbridge branch, he understands that the resolution boiled down to business. YMCA officials will work with township employees to ensure a steady conversion, he said.
“In the end, it’s about the people who are being served. Just as we care for members under the Y banner, we want them to be taken care of under the Woodbridge Community Center banner,” Lewis said.
By Sept. 1, Woodbridge will run preschool classes, before- and after-school programs and swim activities, McCormac said. The rest of the operation will follow suit on Nov. 1, he said. This includes the wellness center and the front-desk and membership operations, to name a few.
“Everything that they have now, we will continue to have,” McCormac said. “The same prices will be in place and, if anything, when they transition is over, members will have more in terms of programs and services.”
Discounted games of miniature golf, and roller- and ice-skating sessions will become available to the thousands of members who frequent the facility, the mayor said.
Although officials anticipate a loss in revenue during the first year — due to the loss of some members and several one-time, upfront costs — the move should prove to be a moneymaker for Woodbridge, McCormac said. Hagerty said there are no existing cash-flow projections, but the township will “break even soon enough.”
The township currently operates its share of programs in the community center, with a financial gain of several hundred thousand dollars each year, McCormac said. At the same time, Woodbridge pays $150,000 to the YMCA to operate within the facility, he said. Money collected by the YMCA is then deposited in municipal bank accounts, he said.
Township officials hope to rake in more money by hosting corporate events at the site. They plan to stage an aggressive advertising campaign next year, Hagerty said.
The few full-time staff members and the army of part-time employees who work for the YMCA at the community center have nearly all been offered jobs by the township, McCormac said. Most of those individuals have agreed to stay on, pending the results of a physical examination and a drug test, he said.
Woodbridge officials chose to waive a rule that requires municipal employees to live in the township, McCormac said.
The Woodbridge Community Center relies on the support of hundreds of employees, and it accommodates more than a million guests each year, said Vito Cimilluca, director of recreation and resident services.
The facility was built more than a decade ago for about $16 million, McCormac said. Woodbridge pays off a chunk of the debt annually, and receives financial assistance from two local companies, he said. The bonds used to finance the project are scheduled to be paid off in about 30 years.
The YMCA will continue to run a number of other childcare services in Woodbridge, Lewis said.