PAST PERFORMANCE - After nearly a decade of planning and fundraising, the Bloomington-Normal YMCA’s new facility is now open. P.J. Hoerr was proud to be the Construction Manager for the new Bloomington-Normal YMCA Facility. This new facility is a two-story, 76,000 square foot building that provides a new home for the YMCA as well as Easterseals of Central Illinois. Included in the new building are administrative offices, classrooms, therapy rooms, a wellness area, locker rooms, a gymnasium, and an aquatics area with a leisure/therapy pool, separate lap pool, and universal sauna and steam rooms.
The new YMCA has many features not available at its current downtown location, including a second pool, rooftop terrace, coffee bar and more. One of the biggest features is its so-called sports center that has four courts — twice as many as the current site. It can host basketball, volleyball, and pickleball.
For a dip or a lap in the pool, the YMCA has two options. One is for lap swimming, with eight 25-yard lanes and a starting block on each. This enables the YMCA to host swim meets and may even start a water polo league. The second pool is for recreation and for physical therapy. It features a zero-depth entry with submersible wheelchairs, a river current to rehab knees and hips, and a warm 88 degrees.
The new YMCA also comes with a teen intergeneration room. Teens can use it for schoolwork or socializing, and includes an esports gaming wall with five gaming PCs.
Upstairs, runners can get their miles on an indoor track, or on the cardio equipment. Treadmills have 17-inch screens compatible with cable television as well as streaming services like Netlflix. There also are free weights and multiple studios for group exercise classes like cycling or dance — live and on-demand.
Easterseals Central Illinois also has a new home in the new YMCA. Easterseals is a nonprofit organization that helps people with disabilities.
Links to press about this project
Past in progress construction blog posts
In progress construction video
The Challenge
Constructing a new facility that would meet the physical, social and spiritual needs for the Twin Cities community members.
The project goes back to 2018 when the YMCA recognized their current building didn’t have enough space to meet the demands of their growing programs.
"We weren’t really serving all that we needed to serve. So with this facility we feel so much more comforted knowing that we have that ability to serve all in our community."
B.J. Wilken
YMCA Executive Director
The Process
Designing and constructing a facility that exceeds the expectations and the ideas of what the community needed for it's YMCA.
The Result
After more than nine years of planning and building, the Bloomington-Normal YMCA is ready to open its new facility in Bloomington, IL. “We’re an organization that celebrates differences,” said Brad Ruehrdanz, YMCA senior director of membership experience. “People from different backgrounds, religions, creeds, orientation, whatever. We want everybody to come in and participate here at the YMCA.”