By: Kent McCarty
The days of students traveling across town for tennis and swim team practice will soon be over when construction is completed on the new YMCA building that will service Lamar County. Since last April, YMCA officials have been hard at work piecing together the details of the project, and, most importantly, securing financing for the new facility. That important step is closer now than ever with the Lamar County Board of Supervisors approving a plan that will provide the facility with $1.3 million toward the construction fund. By the project’s completion, the undertaking is expected to cost between $15 and $17 million.
While final complex designs have yet to be finalized, the project, when completed, will be the largest YMCA facility in the state. The main building is expected to be between 60,000 and 80,000 square feet and include indoor fitness areas and basketball courts, as well as tennis courts, swimming pools, and softball fields on the surrounding grounds.
The school district looks forward to the long term benefits the new Y will bring to area schools. “It will benefit the entire school district by providing tennis courts and a swimming pool. These will be used by Purvis, Sumrall, and Oak Grove high schools,” LCSD Superintendent Dr. Ben Burnett said. The facility’s location at the intersection of Hwy 98 and Hwy 589 will eliminate the long commutes members of these teams must make for practice every day because it is at a close proximity to all of the schools in the county. The district also sees the opportunity of moving the pre-K program to the facilities educational space. “The partnership could not be more tremendous,” Burnett said.
The school will not only benefit from the new facilities the Y will bring, but the entire district will also reap economic benefits from the facility. Officials estimate the district will receive $2 million additional dollars over a seven year time span as a result of the project.
While the project is still in the early phases, the recent advancements with funding are key in gaining momentum for the project. The school district sees their participation in the development as an investment in the future. Developers of the project are currently exploring other avenues of financial support and hope to begin infrastructure work as soon as possible.
