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City officials are waiting to see if $200,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding allocated to the Jamestown YMCA's new building can still be used on the project.
The Jamestown Local Development Corp. approved $200,000 in September 2023 for the YMCA's project on Harrison Street. The YMCA had been fundraising for the $30 million Harrison Street, but the project struggled to gain momentum. Now, the YMCA is looking to partner with Jamestown Community College after the college's efforts to acquire Russell E. Diethrick Stadium as part of its own $30 million renovation project similarly stalled.
YMCA officials are asking if the $200,000 the city had earmarked for the Harrison Street project can be transferred to the JCC partnership.
Both Tony Dolce, R-Ward 2 and council president, and Mayor Kim Ecklund said that is a question that needs to be answered. One reason for the confusion on the matter is that ARPA funding is supposed to be spent by the end of 2026, and the changed YMCA project is still in its early stages.
"That was a question that was asked of me last week by the board," Dolce said. "How was it worded, is the money still there, is it still eligible. They're still building a project, it's just a different project. ... We don't have an answer to that yet. We're going to have to find out."
Ecklund said she would have Elliot Raimondo, city corporation counsel, look into the issue. For now, the YMCA project is listed as an ARPA expense that has been allocated.
The JCC-YMCA partnership would include classroom space for academic classes, tutoring, youth mentoring and community programming; conference rooms and offices; two six-lane competition pools to accommodate JCC and YMCA swim teams and community open swim; a sauna and steam room; two ADA competition gymnasiums to accommodate JCC athletics, YMCA leagues and community open gym; childcare facilities and services for infants to 5 year old children; a teen center, intergenerational center, family and universal locker rooms and public restrooms, a shared health and wellness center and group exercise studios to include free weights, universal systems, TRX stations and cardio equipment, shared program space and storage, a shared outdoor area with designated recreation and comfort spaces including a playground adjacent to the daycare center, two multi-use turfed fields to accommodate soccer, baseball and softball.
The entire cost of the project is proposed to be $43,193,330. Of that amount JCC would be responsible for a little over $24 million. Of JCC's amount, 50% would come from the state, 25% would come from the county and the college would be responsible to raise the remaining 25% through its foundation. The county would pay $6 million.
The YMCA would pay $19,189,293.
"They're still going to need money, but not as much," said Councilman Russell Bonfiglio, R-At Large.
Time is ticking to get an answer because the city has to allocate the remaining $2,082,000 in ARPA funding by the end of the year and have the money spent by the end of 2026. The majority of the money the city has left is money that was either left over from other projects or was given back because the projects fell through.
"Right now there's $2,082,000 that is unallocated ARPA funds," said Ericka Thomas, city comptroller. "The majority of that is a giveback on original projects. There's $40,000 of that original $28 million that wasn't allocated."
The $2,082,000 Thomas referred to includes $100,000 to pay final costs for the city's splash pads at Allen Park and Jackson-Taylor parks, but does not include the $385,000 cost to renovate the Jamestown Police Department's shooting range. That would still leave about $1.7 million to allocate before the end of the year.
"Contracts have to be signed by the end of the year. We can allocate it to lost revenue with no contract," Ecklund said. "Everything has to be spent by 2026."