It was a decade in the making, but the Wood River Community YMCA is now a reality.
The YMCA, located at the corner of Saddle and Warm Springs roads in Ketchum, opened its doors Monday for a "soft opening," which means charter members can use the new facility on a limited schedule this week. Charter members are people who have already taken out memberships or who take out memberships this week.
"This week it's just sort of a soft opening, a kick the tires kind of thing," said Mike Wolter, the Y's membership director. "Everybody is so excited, everybody who walks in the door, because they can't believe their eyes when they see what we've done."
With its climbing wall, workout facilities, swimming pools and meeting facilities, the $22 million Wood River Community YMCA is scheduled for full opening on Saturday, Nov. 10. But the facility's charter members are enjoying things in large numbers already.
"I think we had close to 100 Monday morning from 7 a.m. to 10," Wolter said. "I imagine we had close to 300 people in the afternoon."
He termed Monday's pre-opening a "great start."
"We knew we'd have a good crowd, but we had no idea we'd have that kind of a crowd, so that was exciting to see."
Wolter said some final details continue to be sorted out this week. Some meeting rooms, steam rooms and studio spaces are still being finished. Touch-up painting is continuing throughout the facility. More equipment is arriving every day.
The Wood River Community YMCA began a decade ago as the Janss Center. The group became a YMCA almost four years ago, and some of the board members have been consistent throughout.
The project picked up considerable momentum three years ago when, in the November 2004 election, Ketchum voters approved by roughly two-thirds majority an advisory question of whether the city should lease the property to the Y for $1 per year for 99 years.
Landon Nurge, left, and Jenna Nurge smile big because they were the first two kids to swim in the Wood River Community YMCA swimming pool Monday morning.
Photo courtesy Wood River Community YMCA
