Downey City Council wrestles with funding new YMCA

The Downey City Council is contemplating whether to help fund construction of a new YMCA and at what amount. The council is pictured here on April 13, 2024.

DOWNEY — Tempers flared Tuesday over a City Council discussion on whether or not the city should give further financial contribution towards the new Kolar Family YMCA.

The YMCA is currently trying to raise $20 million to build its new facility. Demolition of the existing building is scheduled to take place this year, with construction starting in 2025 and opening targeted for 2026.

However, the over $14 million that the organization had raised and pledged so far recently took a significant hit when the $3 million in federal funds that Rep. Robert Garcia had initially sought on their behalf was scaled down by Congressional Republicans to $850,000.

The setback comes at a time when the YMCA is already on a tight deadline.

“We need to be at around $16 million by July in order to possibly receive a $2.5 million tax credit,” said Downey YMCA board member Steve Roberson, who addressed the council Tuesday. “Our board and our volunteers, we’re working in the community right now, reaching out to past donors. We hope to raise $1 million in that process…but that still only gets back to around $13.5 million.”

The city council expressed a willingness to consider giving the Y some of the money it is still lacking. Where council members differed was on how much and when to commit.

Councilmember Claudia M. Frometa said that the YMCA was “something we want to see rebuilt” but acknowledged that the city had already helped the organization previously.

She added that “it would be foolish to throw out a number.”

“I do want to remind our community that at our meeting on Nov. 14, this city council approved to waive $296,000 in city fees so that the Y can move forward with the development,” said Frometa. “Frankly, I am very torn. I don’t think that we can come up with a figure at this point in time, but I want to do what the residents really want us to do.

“I think about where we are with public safety, and I think about where we are with more police officers. We need to look at our budget.”

Frometa also mentioned a looming expansion of the Columbia Memorial Space Center, which is expected to cost millions of dollars.

Councilman Horacio Ortiz called himself “a product of the YMCA” said he wanted to “be part of that lead and help.”

“It’s true, right now we can’t figure out a number of what we can do as a city council,” Ortiz said. “I don’t think it’s fair to throw out numbers right now, given the deadline that they have. But I do want to go on record to say that I do, as a council, I want to help in some way, in some capacity.”

Mayor Mario Trujillo was emphatic in his desire to award the YMCA $1 million.

Trujillo said he was “very comfortable spending the city’s money.” He addressed Frometa’s earlier comments about police officers, calling a contribution to the Y “an investment.”

“In the criminal justice system, it’s always recommended that you also spend some funds, some of our limited funds, on crime prevention. Sometimes it’s best to spend money up front, in crime prevention particularly around our youth, to hopefully reduce crime,” said Trujillo. “A million-dollar investment, I mean, it’s an expenditure, but I see it mostly as an investment in the future of the city, which arguably supports crime prevention.

“We’re not a small city people, we’re the 10th largest city in the county of LA. A big city, 115,000 residents, no Boys and Girls Club, no youth center, no YMCA. What are we doing for crime prevention for our youth? I think it’s incumbent on us to spend in that area, to address public safety.”

“It always amazes me how, yes, we must save for a rainy day, but then we have dilapidated, broken streets and sidewalks,” Trujillo continued. “It’s like the city is just saving for a future generation that’s going to benefit from all that, while the residents are here now, hard-working residents; what about our quality of life, that we’re here right now?

“We’re so intent on saving money, I get it, but really? At the expense of kids and senior citizens? We control how much goes into reserves in the future. They’re asking for a million dollars; I think they should get it.”

Trujillo made a motion to give the YMCA $1 million over three years but the motion failed to receive a second.

The city council is now anticipated to consider whether or not to fund the YMCA as part of their budget talks in the coming months.