Salvation Army Seeks to Replace YMCA in District 19

YMCA West Moving to Fitchburg

On October 13 the Dane County YMCA broke ground on its new facility in Fitchburg, which will be twice the size of the current facility built in 1968 at 5515 Medical Circle. The YMCA West will continue to occupy the Medical Circle site until its new home is ready, which is anticipated to be in the Spring of 2028.

Image credit: Common Council Photo

Salvation Army Proposes to Build a Shelter at the YMCA Site

The Salvation Army, Dane County, and City of Madison have recognized for years that shelter facilities serving families and single women in Dane County are inadequate and in need of replacement. Long co-located at 630 E. Washington Avenue, shelter accommodations for families were temporarily relocated during the pandemic to a property at 4502 Milwaukee Street while the women's shelter remained at 630 E Washington Avenue. While there are numerous details to be finalized, the YMCA, Salvation Army, Dane County, and City of Madison have agreed upon the basic framework for replacing the aging YMCA building with a purpose-built shelter to be constructed by the Salvation Army to replace the Milwaukee Street and E Washington Avenue shelters.

• For families
  • 19 emergency beds
  • 32 full-service rooms
  • Community and classroom spaces
• For women
  • 157 beds
• Salvation Army long-term agreement to keep as a shelter for 40 years
• Open 24/7
• Offering a full range of services to help clients find permanent housing quickly and address other problems that may be interfering with their transition to a healthier life.

The long-term arrangements reflect many of the lessons learned from Madison's development of the newly operational men's shelter on Bartillon Drive on the East Side.

Timeline

This is a complex transaction with many moving parts. Dates and arrangements may change. The timeline below reflects my briefing by Madison's Department of Planning, Community, and Economic Development (DPCED), which is representing Madison in these four-way discussions.

1. On November 4 the Dane County Board of Supervisors approved a 2027 budget that includes $2.1 million for a new family and women's shelter. The County is not in a position to purchase the YMCA property immediately.
2. Madison is in a position to move more quickly and will purchase the YMCA property before the end of 2026 for $4.2 million.
3. The City will lease the current Medical Circle facility back to the YMCA until its new facility is completed.
4. The City will sell the property to Dane County for 50% of what it paid for the property, representing the City's contribution to the effort.
5. During YMCA's remaining occupancy, the Salvation Army will finalize and gain necessary approvals for design details, permitting, and management agreements. Like any development, securing these approvals will afford opportunities for public comment and input.
6. Upon YMCA vacating the property, Dane County will lease the land to the Salvation Army for $1/year.
7. In the first half of 2028, the Salvation Army will demolish the YMCA building and construct a new 87,000 square foot building using New Market tax credits, previously awarded Federal and State grants and private donations.
8. The shelters begin operations, hopefully by 2030.

Anticipating District 11 and 19 Questions

We have anticipated a few questions that neighboring residents and businesses may have. It may be some months before we have enough details to provide in one or more neighborhood meetings. The YMCA facility is at the intersection of Medical Circle and Whitney Way in District 19, but District 11 is on the east side of Whitney Way.

Q.        Where will the children at the family shelter attend school?

A.        Keeping in mind that the Salvation Army's goal is to move families that use shelter into permanent housing quickly, they strive to keep children at the schools they were attending before they entered shelter, and bus kids accordingly.

Q.        What impacts do the Salvation Army's current shelter operations have on calls for police services?

A.        The Madison Police Department provided me with one year of service call details for the current family and women's shelters, and, for comparison, the Beacon Day Resources Center at 615 E Washington Avenue which disproportionately serves homeless men. For the last 12 months there were 112 service calls at the family shelter; 453 at the women's shelter; and 1,046 at the Beacon. To be clear, these calls cover a wide range of circumstances, like wellness checks, for example, many of which do not involve criminal activity or result in an arrest. The calls for the family and women's shelter differ significantly in character from those for the Beacon, with relatively few for more serious matters like theft, disturbances, and battery compared to the Beacon.

I look forward to sharing more as details become available.