BY VINCENT TODARO
Staff Writer
JEFF GRANIT staff Wendy Vidal entertains one of the participants of the Raritan Valley YMCA’s child-care program Tuesday in the infant/toddler room of the Tices Lane facility. EAST BRUNSWICK – Visitors won’t need the Village People to tell them how much fun it is at the YMCA.
One look around at the new Raritan Valley YMCA building at 141 Tices Lane will tell them all they need to know.
The YMCA has opened a portion of its new facility, and construction is ongoing to make the overall program bigger and better than the previous operation on Dunhams Corner Road.
The Tices Lane building is already being used for what the organization describes as an improved child-care program. A grand opening ceremony was held Saturday for the child-care center, which was dedicated to state Sen. Barbara Buono (D-18), who helped the YMCA attain a $3.9 million grant for the new facility.
Buono said the YMCA currently serves 3,000 people per week, but that number is expected to rise to 12,000 when its expansion is complete. Customers are from East Brunswick, South River, Spotswood, Helmetta and other neighboring towns.
“As we all know, the Y is so much more than just a local gym. The Y is about building strong communities in a family-centered, value-based atmosphere,” Buono said. “It’s based on the principles of caring, honesty, responsibility and respect. These are the values that enrich the lives of everyone in our community.”
When construction on the Tices Lane facility is complete, the 25,000-square-foot Y with a 3,000-square-foot fitness center with men’s and women’s locker rooms, gymnasium, multipurpose rooms, child-care wing – which includes six classrooms – aerobics room, indoor swimming pool and other amenities, according to Gina Stravic, executive director of the Raritan Valley YMCA.
The fitness center is scheduled to open to the public in June.
Despite the ongoing construction, the YMCA will run its summer camp program this year, and a full slate of youth sports programs will be held in the fall. The YMCA’s aquatics program will again be operated at Cook College in New Brunswick, and at the ViIlage Swim Club in East Brunswick.
Stravic said the YMCA is excited about its new beginning, and noted that there has been “great traffic” in terms of people inquiring about the programs and the new facility.
“Once we open the fitness center, we will be totally operational with a community center for the public,” she said.
“We’ve waited a long time for this, and we hope that the community comes out to see our new facility and what we have to offer,” said Hank Mertin, president of the YMCA’s Board of Directors.
The child-care wing is a particular source of pride. Stravic said the program’s capacity is triple that offered at the YMCA’s former home. Care is now being provided for toddlers and infants.
The YMCA bought its new building, formerly classrooms and offices, in 2002, and has since gutted the facility and renovated it.
The organization sold its Dunhams Corner Road property in 2005 to a housing developer, with revenue from the sale going toward the mortgage of the new site.
Stravic said the YMCA ‘s goal is to serve the entire family. For instance, someone could drop their children off at child care, work out in the fitness center, go to work and pick up their child later.
The YMCA is also focusing on senior citizens, and its Silver Sneakers program for seniors will be available beginning in June.
Stravic said the YMCA wants to address common health issues, especially problems such as obesity and type II diabetes.
“We’ll be in the community to address those issues,” she said.
Phase II of the work will involve adding onto the building to make space for the indoor swimming pool and full gymnasium, she said. The YMCA had only an outdoor pool at its former building.
It was not yet determined when work on Phase II will begin and how long it will take, Stravic said last week, because funds are still being raised to support that project.
“It’s dependent on the generosity of the community,” she said.