Commission approves draft program and hires Clark Construction to advance Birmingham Community and Senior Center at 400 East Lincoln

The Birmingham City Commission on Feb. 24 approved a draft building program for a proposed Birmingham Community and Senior Center at 400 East Lincoln and selected Clark Construction to serve as construction manager, clearing the way for architects to produce test-fit plans and for preconstruction cost verification.

The vote followed presentations from Birmingham Next, a local senior services nonprofit, and the YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit’s Birmingham branch. Chris Braun, executive director of Birmingham Next, described the organization’s mix of free and low-cost services for older residents and its volunteer base of roughly 200; Parish Underwood, president and CEO of the YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit, and Kelly Stuve, executive director of the Birmingham YMCA branch, outlined the YMCA’s programs for people of all ages and the organizations’ case for sharing a new building footprint. Underwood said the YMCA and Next could provide “a continuum of service” under one roof and stressed the YMCA’s long institutional history in the region.

Commissioners voted 4–3 to approve the concept-level draft program, which lists a total gross area of about 47,120 square feet after staff and consultant reductions made at the commission’s request. The motion authorized staff to proceed with test-fit layouts and further design development by Newman Smith Architects and to continue preconstruction cost work. The commission also approved a separate motion to award construction management services to Clark Construction and authorized negotiating a contract not to exceed the amount the commission set aside for preconstruction and construction (the motion as presented to the commission referenced a $32 million construction-authorization figure). That award passed on a 5–2 roll call.

Why it matters: City leaders have framed the project as a way to consolidate services used by both younger and older residents, improve programming space, and replace aging facilities. Commissioners and the public discussed operating growth projections, space tradeoffs, and whether the program as drafted fits on the site and into the city’s budget assumptions. Supporters argued a joint facility would allow Next and the YMCA to expand programs; some commissioners warned that the program and future bond or funding plans must be tightly cost‑verified before advancing.

Key facts and next steps

- Draft program and scale: The document adopted in concept lists roughly 47,120 gross square feet after consultant adjustments and a 30% grossing factor; consultants said the figure will be refined once test-fit plans are completed. - Reductions made before the vote included trimming multipurpose rooms, administrative area, a 500-square-foot reduction in one YMCA wellness area, a reduction of senior fitness space from 1,500 to 1,000 square feet, and a 100-square-foot reduction in the proposed kitchen. Overall reductions cited by consultants totaled about 2,775 square feet from an earlier draft. - Programming notes from presentations: Birmingham Next reported roughly 6,400 units of free or no-cost services for Birmingham residents (transportation is a small-fee service) and said its volunteer base exceeds 200 people. The YMCA said its membership and program mix serves a broad age range and that its outreach includes after‑school and swim programs in area schools. Both organizations told commissioners they anticipate growth in demand once a new facility is available; Next cited an industry estimate that a new, modern facility could increase membership and use by about 24% and hold steady thereafter. - Pools and schedule: Construction managers and consultants emphasized technical complexity of a natatorium (pool). Clark Construction and other bidders estimated about 225 calendar days for pool construction once enclosed and identified a construction schedule milestone (schematic budget verification and target permitting) to preserve an April 2027 target handover. Consultants described typical phasing: program verification → schematic estimate (April) → design development → bidding → construction start. - Financial and program design work: The commission directed Newman Smith Architects and the selected construction manager to proceed with test-fit layouts and refined cost estimates for the next design phase and asked staff to return with more detailed cost/operational projections. Several commissioners requested additional community partners be approached (Community House, Baldwin Public Library, Birmingham Bloomfield Arts Center) to test shared uses and reduce overlap.

Discussion highlights and concerns

- Supporters — including commissioners who voted yes — said the draft program emerged from months of community outreach and that pairing Next and the YMCA could fill replicated service needs and lower operational costs by sharing support spaces. - Critics urged caution. Some commissioners said the draft remains large for the available site and signaled concern about long-term operating costs and whether a future funding proposal would have public support. Several asked that the preconstruction phase give extra attention to program-to-footprint tradeoffs, kitchen size and function, storage and equipment needs, and parking impacts. - Accessibility and program detail: Commissioners pressed for more detail on functions such as Meals on Wheels kitchen needs (consultants described the current kitchen placeholder as roughly 800 square feet but said equipment and final layout will be set during detailed programming), overflow meeting spaces (library/living room vs. multipurpose rooms) and how community partners’ existing resources might be used instead of building every program space on site.

Votes at a glance

- Draft building program for Birmingham Community and Senior Center (concept approval, authorize test-fit and preconstruction work): Motion made by Commissioner Andrew Baller; roll-call approval 4–3 (Yes: Emery, Schaeffer, Commissioner Anthony Long, Mayor Therese Long. No: Hague, Mayor Pro Tem Ballard, Host). Outcome: approved in concept; Newman Smith and staff to proceed with test-fits and schematic budget verification. - Construction management services (award to Clark Construction): Motion to approve selection and authorize contract negotiations (amount and final contract to be negotiated). Roll-call approval 5–2 (Yes: Schaeffer, Mayor Therese Long, Emery, Hague, Commissioner Anthony Long. No: Host, Mayor Pro Tem Ballard). Outcome: Clark Construction selected; staff to finalize contract and scope. - Other votes during the meeting that relate to the project: commissioners also accepted correspondence and community letters supporting or commenting on the program; staff noted comments and will incorporate them into subsequent design meetings.

Who spoke (selected)

- Chris Braun, executive director, Birmingham Next (nonprofit senior center) — presented Next’s programming, volunteer capacity and service statistics. - Parish Underwood, president and CEO, YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit — presented YMCA services, partnerships and youth/adult programming; Kelly Stuve, executive director, Birmingham YMCA branch, also spoke for the local branch. - Janet Ecker (city staff) and Brian Deming (owner’s representative / Kramer Group) — summarized the consultant audit of program hours and the adjustments made to the draft program. - Construction manager finalists (Clark Construction, Frank Rewold & Sons, Rockford) presented preconstruction approaches; Clark was selected after the commission review and vote.

Clarifying details extracted from the meeting record

- Draft program gross area presented (post‑reduction): ~47,120 sq ft; stated reductions enacted before the vote: ~2,775 sq ft less than the earlier draft. - Pool construction: consultants estimated roughly 225 calendar days to build the pool once the structure is enclosed; pool type, finish and mechanical systems will materially affect cost and schedule. - Community operational examples: Next reported more than 200 volunteers and hundreds of weekly touchpoints (6,400 no‑cost units cited for Birmingham residents; a broader ‘‘units of service’’ number cited elsewhere was about 9,000 when modest transportation fees were included). YMCA described program reach into schools (after‑school and swim programs serving over 2,300 children across partner schools). - Kitchen/food service: consultants left the kitchen as a placeholder (approx. 800 sq ft) pending program-level requirements (Meals on Wheels plating/refrigeration, potential rental/culinary programming).

Implementation risk and timeline

- Implementation risk: medium. The project requires additional verification of costs, programming fit on site, parking and traffic impacts, and final decisions about shared vs. dedicated spaces for Next and the YMCA. - Next procedural steps: Newman Smith will produce test-fit layouts; Clark Construction (as selected CM) and the owner’s representative will prepare a schematic-level cost verification to be presented to the commission before any funding or ballot decisions.

Ending

Commissioners directed staff, the owner’s representative, Newman Smith Architects and Clark Construction to continue program refinement and cost verification. City staff said the schematic-stage estimate will return to the commission for further direction before any funding commitments are advanced.