Source: The Evening Leader
By BRENT MELTON, Staff Reporter, Oct 17, 2023

The Grand Lake Health/Premier Health South YMCA is raising funds for a new sports complex to help better serve the community. A press release announced the $3.6 million dollar project that has already raised $2.8 million.

“We are fundraising to do an expansion at our Minster Branch,” said Brittany Thiebeau, Executive Director of the Grand Lake Health/Premier Health South YMCA.

Thiebeau said that the project got off the ground with a grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources of $750,000 to expand offerings in the area and to have a rest complex in Auglaize County.

“If we reach $3.6 million we have an opportunity to add a gymnasium and a 3,600 sq. ft. fitness area. That’s kind of our big vision so we can get to that $3.6 million,” said Thiebeau.

The increased size of the facilities will be a two fold benefit according to Thiebeau. She said that it will increase programming available at the YMCA and make it a destination for sports tournaments and events in the area.

“If completed, the sports complex will provide two basketball courts, two volleyball courts, and three pickleball courts. The gymnasium will have multipurpose surfacing to better accommodate indoor basketball, soccer, and other sports. In addition to the sports complex, a new, state-of-the-art fitness center will be constructed to better serve members of the community,” reads a portion of the press release.

“It’s definitely a need. We’ve talked to a lot of the local school districts in the area, and to the different sports programs,” said Thiebeau before continuing.

“There’s a consensus that there’s not enough gym space to host activities for kids preschool through high school,” Part of this lack of space is also something Thiebeau said they’re learning about as the process moves forward.

“What we are learning is that tournaments are being held outside of the county, and people are traveling outside of our county to attend those events,” said Thiebeau. With this new facility, Thiebeau said they plan on being able to boost the local economy by being able to host these kinds of events.

“We would be amiable to be an additional gym site for those tournaments and a host to our own tournaments as well,” said Thiebeau of working with local school districts.

Thiebeau said that Garmann Miller has been selected to design the facility and that H.A. Dorsten will be the general contractor for the project.

“We do have a variety of naming rights from the gym naming rights down to Bronze level sponsors. Those are available if an individual or business wants to choose to do that,” said Thiebeau. Once construction starts on the facility, it is expected to take less than one year to complete and could start as early as later this year.

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Source: The Evening Leader