The proposed YMCA-Jamestown Community College project is officially moving ahead.

On Wednesday the Chautauqua County Legislature agreed to pay $195,000 for design of the entire project as well as requesting the state to have the JCC project in SUNY’s capital projects.

The county will pay 25% of the project, the state will pay 50% of the project and JCC will be responsible for the remaining 25% through private donation and donor support.

The two resolutions were both passed 15-1 with three members absent. Legislator Terry Niebel, R-Sheridan, cast the only “no” vote.

Once the state officially funds its portion, the county legislature will be asked again to fund the project, which will be $3 million for Phase I.

Along with design, Phase I will upgrade JCC’s athletic fields and the Physical Education Complex that only the college will use.

Phase II will focus on the shared space that both JCC and the YMCA will use together.

JCC has been trying to upgrade its athletic fields for years.

Back in 2022, County Executive PJ Wendel proposed having $941,000 in the county budget for repairs to JCC’s soccer fields.

The legislature rejected that and instead sought to explore making upgrades to Diethrick Park where the Jamestown Tarp Skunks play and have a multi-purpose soccer, baseball and softball field. That project was going to cost $30 million, with the county being responsible for around $7.5 million.

There were also legal questions, because the park is owned by the city of Jamestown and an exchange of land was going to be needed for the city to give the county its park.

While JCC was struggling with what to do with its athletic fields and physical education complex, the YMCA had its own issues.

In 2021, the Y had purchased a little less than 3 acres of land on Winsor Street to construct what at that time was going to be a $26 million facility. The funding stalled, so earlier this year the land was sold to the Jamestown BPU for them to market, and the YMCA joined JCC for its expansion.

The entire YMCA-JCC project, which will be called the “Jay,” is expected to cost $41 million. Of that amount, JCC’s portion will be $24 million and the Y’s portion will be $17 million.

With the county funding 25% of JCC’s portion, the project is expected to cost the county $6 million for both Phase I and II.

Phase II is not expected to come into play until the YMCA has secured its funding.

The YMCA has struggled in its fundraising for the project.

JCC proposed breaking the project into two phases so that it could move forward with the first phase without the Y. YMCA officials have expressed their support for this, saying that seeing Phase I beginning will help them with their own funding.

Niebel, whose term is expiring at the end of the year, said while he wishes the best for JCC and the YMCA, he felt it couldn’t support the project, due to its price tag. After the meeting, he commented on his “no” vote.

“The county’s share of this, when it’s all said and done, is going to be closer to $6 million. That’s an awful lot of money,” he said, adding that he’s worried about the cost of the needed improvements to the jail and the continued increase of the county’s Safety Net program.