Wayman Palmer YMCA discussion leaves people with more questions than answers

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - Another meeting on the future of a new Wayman Palmer YMCA, but a gathering that was supposed to clear things up, has some community members asking even more questions.

Toledo’s been talking about rebuilding the Wayman Palmer YMCA for years and in 2021, city leaders officially announced they were going to figure out how to make it happen.

Now, here we are, a few years since that announcement, and the head of all the YMCAs in the area, Brad Toft, says although we’re getting closer to possibly breaking ground it’s still too early to release certain details like the cost of the project.

“We plan on getting started this fall. We’re really excited about it,” said Toft. “It’s really hard to say but it should be soon. Sometime in the next month, I would guess?”

A spokesperson for the city of Toledo previously stated they plan to contribute 19 million in federal funds to the project. If it costs more than that, funding may have to come from somewhere else.

Although Tuesday’s meeting on the future project, has some community members feeling hopeful.

“They provided information on the building, the park, and what’s going to be expected inside for the kids and for the community,” said Tina Lamale. “I think it’s great.”

Others say they are leaving with more questions than answers. Some wonder if the city will actually follow through with the new Y and Inez-Nash park.

“It is important that we see this through because what happens a lot of times in the African American community and politics is that we say oh this is going to happen and then it never happens,” said Toledo City Councilwoman Cerssandra McPherson.

McPherson is making a promise to the community:

“However we need to do this, we need to make this happen for the citizens of Toledo. I believe in it and it will happen.”

Federal dollars must be declared by 2024 and spent by 2026. Another meeting on this project will be on Thursday.

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