NORFOLK, Neb. (AP) - A local YMCA wants to purchase the old Norfolk city auditorium, saying it needs the space for its gymnastics program.
Executive director Randy Hagedorn of the Norfolk Family YMCA told the City Council on Monday that even though there’s costs attached to fixing the auditorium that’s more than 75 years old, it’s a better alternative than seeking another site that could cost up to $2.1 million.
City figures show it would cost around $100,000 in capital improvements in the near future to keep the building viable, the Norfolk Daily News (https://bit.ly/1Alk994) reported. It doesn’t include the $41,000 needed each year for maintenance, upkeep and heating costs.
The YMCA wants to purchase the building for $1. Hagedorn said he spoke with other organizations, such as Pheasants Forever and the Lions Club, that hold events at the auditorium to get their input.
“That was their chance to really let me have it. But they didn’t,” he said. “They said, ’We know you guys don’t have $2.1 million for a new facility.’ This is what they told me.”
Some of the organizations acknowledged Monday that the YMCA did reach out to them but that they still felt the need to make their case for keeping the auditorium in city hands so they could use it for their events. They noted the pending closure of the American Legion building and other community venues.
City Administrator Shane Weidner said the sale to the YMCA would satisfy the city’s mission to keep the building for public use and save taxpayer money.
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Information from: Norfolk Daily News, https://www.norfolkdailynews.com
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