By Blake Haas

BLOOMINGTON – The Bloomington-Normal YMCA is opening its doors for the first time after decades of planning and construction.

The new 70,000 sq. ft. facility, located near OSF St. Joseph Hospital, features new workout machines, multiple pools, and programs.

“We’re really excited about all the new fitness equipment that’s there,” said B.J. Wilken, B-N YMCA CEO/Executive Director. “There’s different pieces of fitness equipment that are really just not necessarily what we have at the current facilities and or that would be matched in the community. There are very unique pieces.”

According to Wilken, the new $24 million YMCA features a therapy pool named after all of the physicians who donated to make the pool possible.

“It’s a three-lane, 25-yard pool that also has a river current walk in that. So that if you had a hip or knee replacement, you can rehab your hip or knee in that current.”

However, Wilken reported that the YMCA ran into higher supply costs during the build, pushing the budget by 4%.

The new YMCA opens to charter members next week, with the following week open to the general public.

Blake Haas can be reached at [email protected].