Merrillville’s six-year-old community center could join the Crossroads YMCA family as early as next spring if the Town Council approves the deal.
The Dean and Barbara White Center Foundation, which opened in spring of 2021 through a combination of town bonds, corporate sponsorships and a $10 million naming rights deal, is seeking to sell the center at 6600 Broadway for $23 million and allow Crossroads YMCA to operate it, its executive director, Bill Hanna presented during a special May 28 meeting at the center. The foundation would then expand the building and offer programming and childcare as it does at its other facilities, he said.
The expanded amenities would come a monthly charge for residents, whereas most of the center’s amenities are currently free-of-charge for Merrillville residents. The fee, however, would entitle members to use any one of Crossroads YMCA’s facilities.
The town would then use the $23 million and what’s left of the $10 million naming rights gift to clear up debt, Merrillville Councilman Shawn Pettit, D-6, said.
“This building has two bond issues on it. When (former Ward 2 Councilman) Richard (Hardaway) and I started this and we took out the bond issues and did the financing, it was actually the taxpayers that were paying one of the bond issues with what’s called a GEO bond. The other was coming from a tax increment finance district was paying the other bond,” he said. “What we’ve done, and and many of you may know that they affectionately call my ward the ‘warehouse ward,’ and I’m very proud of that because a lot of those big buildings pay into an allocation area. We get 100% of their tax dollars, and that becomes important because the citizens are not paying for this building any longer. All the businesses that are in the allocation areas are paying the debt service on these two bonds.
“(The YMCA deal) will relieve that stress on the Redevelopment Commission and the town’s obligation to those two bonds and free up $1.7 million again that can be used for public safety. I am 150% behind this project.”
Residents had a mixed view of the proposal. Michael Miller, who asked the council to hold a meeting about the idea in February, said he asked the council to “do better” but to his mind, they’ve done “worse” because it appeared they’ve already decided to do it.
Pettit reminded him that it takes four votes to pass anything on the council, but if they don’t sell, managing the town’s finances is going to be nearly impossible in the wake of Senate Enrolled Act 1, which gives small property tax breaks for homeowners but hefty tax breaks for big business that are expected to all but destroy municipal and school budgets across the state.
“We all say, ‘Oh, we love the police, we love the fire,’ but we don’t want to pay for it. We heard that when Mr. (Town Manager Michael) Griffin tried to do an excess levy appeal, they just about ran him out of town. That’s not right. We could pass an option income tax at 1.2%; that’ll generate $15 million. You guys want to pay a tax? Nope,” he said. “These are the things that the seven of us are struggling with to figure out: how our general fund is going to get cut by $510,000 this year and the fire is going to get cut by another $172,000.”
“The town is projected to lose $800,000 this year in revenue,” Clerk-Treasurer Eric January added. “The town does not have that type of money.”
Resident Barbara Critten-Green said she walks at the community center on a regular basis and sees it “being very busy and very useful,” and it’s free-of-charge.
“So now I’m going to have to pay a fee. Is that correct? Help me to understand how it’s going to benefit me,” she said. “Just to clarify, we’re talking $33 a month, or about $400 a year for activities that I get for free right now.”
Town Council Vice President Rhonda Neal, D-1, said she believes the Y provides more for children and teenagers than the town can “because we’re struggling with this building.”
In a social media post, Councilwoman Shauna Haynes Edwards, D-2, said she can’t support the sale “unless and until the Town of Merrillville has established a comprehensive plan to provide an alternative recreation and community center for our residents.”
“While I recognize the financial challenges associated with the facility, it is important to acknowledge the circumstances that have led us to this point. Decisions made by previous councils regarding planning and development have contributed to the challenges the town now faces, and regrettably, current residents are experiencing the consequences of those decisions. Inadequate long-term planning often results in significant difficulties over time, and that is the situation confronting us today,” she wrote. “It is deeply concerning to see such urgency surrounding the disposition of a facility that has long served as a gathering place for families, youth, and seniors within our community.
“If the ultimate decision is to sell the building in order to address outstanding debt and enable the town to develop a sustainable community center in the future, that discussion should take place in a transparent and forthright timely manner. However, I do not believe it is prudent to eliminate a valuable community asset without first ensuring that residents will continue to have access to a place where they can gather, learn, exercise, and strengthen community connections. This shouldn’t take 2 or more years to accomplish.”
If council decides to sell, the sale could be closed within 12 to 18 months, Pettit said.
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
