A special Birmingham City Commission workshop on Aug. 11 drew a full house as staff and commissioners again reviewed three options to provide a permanent home for NEXT (the city’s senior services organization) and to consider whether a bond measure should go before voters.

The workshop was organized to give the public a final opportunity to comment before the commission’s regular meeting vote on whether to submit bond language for the Nov. 4 ballot. City staff emphasized that the workshop itself would not include any vote; that decision would come later at the regular meeting.

Why it matters: Birmingham bought the former YMCA building at 400 East Lincoln in 2023 with a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that anticipated moving NEXT into the space. The city also placed a short senior millage on the 2023 ballot to fund immediate upgrades. Since then, higher construction costs, the loss of an expected federal earmark and a renewed interest from the YMCA to remain involved have changed the conversation about size, cost and timeline.

City staff described three options:
- Option 1: A new building of about 47,260 square feet with a new pool, gym and community spaces. Staff reported an estimated construction and bond total in the mid‑$30 million range (Melissa Ecker said roughly $36.1 million as the construction estimate, and the draft bond resolution later before the commission used a not‑to‑exceed figure in the $36.6 million range). That option would require a public bond vote and, if approved, a multi‑year construction timeline.
- Option 2: A YMCA‑led concept that renovates and reuses the existing 400 East Lincoln building. The YMCA’s estimate, presented by YMCA leadership, was roughly $27.5 million; the city has not independently vetted those figures.
- Option 3: A limited, first‑floor renovation under the existing MOU that would fit within the proceeds the senior millage could raise (Ecker said the millage would yield about $3–3.5 million). That scenario would enable NEXT to move into East Lincoln by the city’s stated target date of May 31, 2027, but it would close off the mezzanine and basement and would not include a pool or full building accessibility improvements.

Commissioners and staff framed the tradeoffs repeatedly around three points: cost and taxpayer impact, short‑term access for NEXT, and long‑term operating and capital risk for the city. Commissioner Long said he supported the project concept but was “troubled” by bids that had come back 20–25% higher than earlier estimates and noted that construction market uncertainty had reduced the field of bidders. Commissioner Ballard and others urged caution about asking taxpayers for a multimillion‑dollar bond absent other funding sources or clearer YMCA capital commitments.

Public comment: Dozens of residents and stakeholders spoke in favor of a strong facility, frequently urging the city to preserve a pool and to secure a location for NEXT. Speakers included NEXT leadership and board members who repeatedly asked the commission to honor the executed MOU and secure a home for NEXT at East Lincoln. YMCA leaders said the YMCA remains committed to serving Birmingham and proposed operational contributions and a renovation concept when capital contributions were not available. Speakers also raised equity and tax concerns: several residents said the burden of a city‑only bond would fall heavily on Birmingham property owners even though NEXT serves residents of nearby communities as well.

What the city said about timing and decisions: City staff repeated that the county deadline for ballot language was imminent and that the commission could either direct staff to submit bond language for the Nov. 4 ballot at the regular meeting that followed the workshop or take no action and revisit the matter later. Staff also emphasized that Option 3 could be completed by the May 2027 deadline for NEXT’s move, while Options 1 or 2 would require a successful bond vote and longer timelines.

Quotes: “We wanted to make sure we did not just let the clock run out on this issue,” City Manager gave at the start of the workshop, noting the county deadline for ballot language. Parris Underwood, president and CEO of YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit, said the YMCA had proposed operational solutions and had “used our resources to create an alternative renovation concept that reduced project cost by nearly $10,000,000.” Chris Braun, director of NEXT, told the commission that NEXT has positive cash flow, an endowment and municipal partners who have pledged operating contributions and that NEXT’s board supported the MOU path to East Lincoln.

Next steps: The workshop generated strong public input but no action. The commission took up a separate resolution later in the evening to submit bond language for the Nov. 4 ballot (the commission subsequently voted against submitting the $36.64 million bond proposal; see separate article). City staff said they would return with further information about costs, phased options and implementation tasks should the commission want to pursue a scaled or staged approach.

Ending: For now, the commission has kept all three paths on the table. The public input at the Aug. 11 workshop made clear both the community appetite for a robust senior and community facility and the political and fiscal questions the commission must resolve before asking voters to pay for one.