For the last several weeks, staff at the Forest Lake YMCA have been working to put the finishing touches on their new facility, which opens on June 19.
The public at large will be welcomed to the Forest Lake YMCA this weekend during an open house on June 18 and the facility’s grand opening the following day. Since the YMCA began selling charter memberships in December 2015, more than 800 people have signed up, and local YMCA leadership is expecting an eager turnout.
“The community has been really great,” said Sharna Braucks, the executive director of the Y’s facilities in both Forest Lake and Lino Lakes.
Braucks has detected a growing excitement surrounding the YMCA as the facility has moved closer to opening day. Though the city of Forest Lake’s decision to contribute land and about $9 million to the YMCA’s $13 million price tag generated much controversy when the City Council first approved it in 2014, the project has always had its ardent defenders in the community, and Braucks said the response she’s gotten from area residents has been overwhelmingly positive.
“We cannot wait to open this up,” she said.
The YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities leadership believes a big part of the positive reaction is due to the organization’s careful listening to residents’ preferences regarding what kind of facilities will be in the Forest Lake structure. Braucks said that a variety of special considerations were added as a result of residential feedback when the Y was first considering the feasibility of bringing a facility to town, including an extra-wide walking track, ample public community room space, striping for pickleball on the floor of the gym and private showers in the locker rooms.
Braucks estimated that at least the top 10 to 15 features asked for by residents made it into the final product, which the building’s planners combined with a desire for an ergonomic and waste-free building design to create a facility that is bursting at the seams with features. Seemingly no corner of the building has been left alone, as engineers came up with ways to add internet plug-in spots and stroller storage spaces in what otherwise would have been blank hallways.
“We thought, ‘How can we use every inch of the facility to meet our users’ needs?’” Braucks said.
When creating the building, a key adjective for the YMCA was “collaborative” – a building that was created with local environments, desires and needs at the forefront. The building’s exterior is modeled to complement its cross-parking-lot neighbor, the Washington County Government Service Center. Its interiors are painted with a warm color scheme meant to invoke the colors of the surrounding area with tones similar to the ones used by city government. The building is also structured so as to allow ample natural light to filter throughout most of the facility.
Structurally, the building is oriented around community centerpieces like the gym and community room – both of which have lobby access for public events – and the YMCA’s two pools. The pool area is expected to be a big draw for locals, featuring a sauna, a state-of-the-art hot tub with quick and clean water filtration, a lap pool for fitness classes and exercise, and a leisure pool complete with water fixtures and a towering water slide. Also off to the side of the leisure pool is a small, circular section dubbed “The Vortex,” where users can dog paddle or walk against a current created by gentle water jets. The pool area is also connected to an outdoor splash pad, where kids can play under water features in a non-pool setting.
The bottom floor is rounded out by a child care center complete with playground, activities areas and a play maze for older kids. Fitness-conscious parents can drop off their children for up to two hours while they exercise, and YMCA staff will provide the kids with fun activities focused on learning or physical action.
“When you’re here, there’s no screen time,” Braucks said.
The top floor of the YMCA is home to the walking track, two roomy, joint-friendly studios for various exercise classes, and a wide-open space that houses numerous varieties of exercise equipment, indoor cycles and weight equipment. The exercise equipment is distributed throughout the space so as to allow users to work out in multiple locations, depending on comfort, and the machines come with internet and device compatibility. In the weight training area, the YMCA listened to residents who wanted a greater variety of equipment and heavier weights, including stocking the space with dumbbells up to 125 pounds.
“I can’t believe there’s going to be someone who can’t find something for them,” Braucks said.
Braucks and Joan Schimml, the YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities senior director of communications, also noted Forest Lake residents aren’t the only people who can use the YMCA. Residents from all over the area, as well as commuters, are welcome to become members, and a YMCA membership is good across all YMCAs. The duo encouraged the public to see what the facility has to offer on June 18, adding that the open house is akin to a fully active preview.
“We want them to be in their workout clothes,” Schimml said. “We want them to have their swimming suits on.”
The open house goes from 4-7 p.m. and all facilities except child care will be available. The YMCA begins regular operations the following day, Father’s Day, a holiday the YMCA helped originate. The facility is open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. Learn more about membership or programming at ymcamn.org/locations/forest_lake_ymca.