Consultants present four options for shuttered YMCA property in Harrison County

Consultants from Healthy Harrison presented an interim analysis to the Clarksburg City Council at a Jan. 8 conference work session, laying out four possible futures for the closed YMCA property and outlining the data that shaped those options.

The consultants said the site was appraised at $2,100,000, sits on roughly 25 acres and includes a 60-year-old facility whose indoor pool is its most valuable amenity. "It was 2,100,000 was the appraised value," the consultant reported. On usage, the consultant said, "The average number of people that use it today was 308." The consultant also reported, "They're losing $500,000 a year," citing the organization's operating loss as a principal constraint on reopening at prior scale.

Why it matters: council members had asked for options that would be actionable and tied to community needs. The consultants said they had interviewed council members and stakeholders, benchmarked rural and small-city responses in other states and tested concepts with locals to identify options that could both address needs and be practically implemented.

What the consultants found and proposed: the report combined facility review, financial records and interviews and presented four broad options. First, a limited reopening focused on the pool with reduced hours and a smaller staff, supported by an upfront capital investment (the consultants suggested a ballpark $300,000–$500,000) and transportation to raise attendance. Second, converting parts of the property to outdoor recreation (bike trails/adventure park) with estimated costs the consultants said could start near $500,000 and rise into the millions depending on scope and amenities. Third, a community programming model the consultants called "Hope Hill" — repurposing buildings and property to offer targeted aftercare, workforce development and elder programming in partnership with universities and trade schools, using a structured "hope-building" approach employed in other states. Fourth, selling the property and redeploying proceeds into downtown rental space and programming to stimulate economic activity and meet community needs.

Council questions and clarifications: a council member asked whether peer communities contacted had similar demographics; the consultants said they intentionally called rural and similarly sized communities, including examples in Oklahoma, Ohio and California. The consultants cautioned that membership-tracking systems such as SilverSneakers complicate simple headcounts because some programs bill per visit rather than by static membership. They also flagged three primary causes for low use: the site's inaccessibility, new competition from private gyms and the aged condition of the facility.

Costs, staffing and service impacts: consultants noted prior staffing levels were "top heavy" and suggested a redesigned staffing model that would reduce headcount (from about 30 staff) and scope. A payroll figure of $41,666 was cited in the discussion but the consultants did not fully attribute the time period or all operating-cost line items during the session. Summer-camp participation was reported at about 80 children and after-school attendance around 30; the consultants said those programs reached only a small percentage of the community's youth.

Next steps: the consultants framed this presentation as an interim checkpoint. They told the council they will follow with financial analyses tailored to any option the council prefers and a recommended action plan for implementation. Council members previously approved a motion to commission an in-depth study; the consultants said this session is part of that process.

The session closed without a final decision; consultants and staff are expected to return with detailed financial modeling and implementation steps for the option(s) the council selects.