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Boys and Girls Club pitches $2–2.5M renovation of former YMCA; council weighs lease terms and Lehardin's renewal request
Summary
Boys and Girls Club of Greater Miami presented a proposal March 3 to renovate the former YMCA building in Harrisfield, estimate capital costs of $2–2.5 million and annual operations of about $1 million, and serve about 300 youth; council members asked staff to negotiate terms that protect the city's future redevelopment options while recognizing nonprofit investments. Lehardin Community Center sought longer lease cycles to justify its own capital spending; council asked for negotiated terms with exit provisions.
The Committee of the Whole on March 3 heard competing proposals and concerns about long-term use of the former YMCA building in Harrisfield.
Alex Rodriguez Frey, who identified himself as president of the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Miami, asked the city to consider granting the club use of the west portion of the vacant YMCA building. He said the club would renovate the roughly 20,000‑square‑foot space and the pool, with an estimated refurbishment cost of $2 million to $2.5 million and an annual operating budget near $1 million once fully operational. Frey described programming focused on after‑school care, summer camps, STEM labs, arts, career exploration and workforce readiness and said the club expects to serve roughly 300 youth and prioritize hiring local residents.
Council members questioned how the space would be used during daytime hours, whether the organization would charge membership dues, and how maintenance and shared‑use scheduling (gym/pool) would be handled. Frey said the club charges a nominal $40 monthly fee to foster family commitment but would not turn children away for inability to pay and that the organization relies primarily on fundraising, grants and board support to operate and cover maintenance.
Separately, Eddie Veronis, CEO of Lehardin Community Center, asked the council to revise the current lease renewal structure for his tenant organization. Lehardin currently holds a multi‑year arrangement with shorter one‑year renewal options; Veronis said the center has already invested more than $1 million in capital and compliance work and asked that renewals be structured in five‑year cycles to justify larger capital expenditures. He said federal grant cycles are commonly five years and that a longer, predictable lease term would allow the nonprofit to plan and spend on needed repairs and code upgrades.
Council members voiced two recurring concerns: preserving the city's flexibility to reimagine the Harrisfield site after the planned relocation of the rodeo event and ensuring any long‑term lease or favorable rent reflects a fair allocation of costs and preserves city interests. One council member said he would not support a nominal "dollar‑a‑year" lease given projected fiscal pressures and asked that any longer lease include termination provisions and an amortization approach that balances the nonprofit's capital investment with the city's need to protect future redevelopment options.
Council directed staff to continue negotiations with both parties and to return to council with proposed lease structures that include clear cost allocations, maintenance responsibilities, and exit provisions so the city can both encourage nonprofit investment and preserve options for larger future redevelopment.
