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Sterling YMCA Gets A Facelift
The Beverly Citizen
By Janice O'Leary / joleary@cnc.com
Thursday, November 20, 2003
Essex Street unveiled the $4 million renovation to the Sterling Center YMCA, at a rededication ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 13. "This is a great day for the city of Beverly," said Evergreen Street resident and Chairman of the Board of the YMCA North Shore Tom Alexander. "This is one of the premier YMCA facilities in the country."
More than 26,000 North Shore residents belong to a YMCA, and nearly half of them come to the Sterling Center.
First among the updates is the new L-shaped, 50-meter pool, nick-named "the lake." The pool is big enough to simultaneously accommodate a Sharks' swim team practice, swimming lessons and a water aerobics class. Parents can watch from bleachers in the new balcony instead of lined up against the walls. "Only six other (YMCAs) in the country have 50-meter pools," said Alexander. The new 11,000 square-foot gymnastics center boasts a tempting pool of its own - a pit filled with soft, blue foam blocks where kids briefly disappear after jumping off a springboard.
Chairman of the Sterling YMCA board Paul Sullivan said he gets a laugh watching parents and grandparents try to find their kids' socks and shoes in the pit.
Amy Uroskie, the mother of Amanda, 5, and Kathryn, 3, said she loves the convenience of the new gymnastics room. Previously, the YMCA rented a separate space on Brimbal Avenue. What do her daughters love about the new gymnastics area? "Everything," the girls cried. They've even attended birthday parties there.
Sullivan said they anticipated increased use of the center, but not the numbers they've seen since it opened in April. Enrollment has increased from 250 to 1,000 kids in the past year.
Chris Lovasco, regional executive director for the YMCA, said that even during construction Sterling managed to achieve its highest member retention rate since 1996 to 1997. More than 72 percent stayed, compared with an average of 55-60 percent generally seen during construction projects. "Already use has overwhelmed the parking," said Sullivan.
Other renovations at Sterling include an indoor track and a fitness area with more nautilus weight training machines. A new outdoor pool opened in June, in time for summer vacation. And the building will be fully handicapped accessible by Nov. 24. Yet to be completed is a new "Enrichment Center" which will house a daycare facility and a teen center. Lovasco said Sterling's board members raised nearly $3 million dollars and bonded $1 million. They are still $200,000 shy of meeting their goal. "It speaks a lot about the communities of Beverly, Hamilton, Wenham and Manchester," Sullivan said. "Despite the difficulties with the economy they were all very receptive. People understand the value the Y brings to the community."
The original Sterling YMCA was built in 1976. Renovations were done in both the mid-1980s and 1990s. Prior to that, the space was a day camp, begun in 1958 by Lester O. Sterling.Want to read more YMCA articles? Click here!  | PDF Documents: Our web site contains several .pdf documents. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat, please click here for a free download. |  
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