By Barbara Augsdorfer, Editor for the Effingham Herald
The Guyton City Council held a special-called meeting Oct. 3 with one item on the agenda.
But that one item is destined to fill a need and a much-desired recreational outlet for Guyton residents.
The council unanimously voted to offer the YMCA of Coastal Georgia a ten-year lease for 3 ½ acres of land and the two existing buildings at 718 Central Ave.
According to the agreement, rent payments to the city will start in March 2024 for the two buildings on a sliding scale starting at $500/month the first year. Rent will increase each of the next five years; and in the sixth year, the City Council can vote to charge market value rent, if it so chooses.
In the meantime, the Y is proposing to possibly use the smaller building for childcare – even though at its present size, it can only accommodate 28 children. The larger building can be stocked with free weights and cardio equipment and used as an exercise room.
“The smaller building, the thought is to use it for after-school enrichment programs after-school activities for the children, teen leadership activities and also senior activities during the day,” Guyton City Manager Maketa Brown told the council during her presentation prior to the vote.
“The larger building, my thought is to go ahead and create that to be the fitness center where you will have free weights and circuit equipment and cardio equipment.”
This was the beginning of the negotiations with the Y. And the Y posed the question.
“What if we looked at constructing a full-scale childcare center for you? Would you be open to a land lease agreement to build a $2 million facility that would take care of children from infancy to three years old?”, Brown recalled her conversations with the Y. “So we got into negotiations and talking through the project and we agreed we'll give (lease) them three and a half acres.”
The lease agreement stipulates that the Y must begin building its facility by year three (2027); and in the meantime, the city will receive rent income of $6,000 the first year, $9,000 the second year, $12,000 the third year, $15,000 the fourth, and $18,000, the fifth, for the two buildings.
Brown delineated the income the city can expect during the first five years -- $125,000; and by the sixth year, the Y should have a fully functioning facility in Guyton.
Councilmember Marshall Reiser thanked Brown for all her hard work in working with the Y, and added, “I think the bigger issue is that the city is providing a service for our citizens and it's a legacy for the kids to have. I think it's probably one of the few Ys where people will be able to walk to this facility.”
Reiser also added praise for Y staff. “Based on my discussions with the Y folks, I think they really have some good ideas – pickleball to a soccer complex -- almost a showplace,” Reiser said.
“This agreement allows us to build something that the city would never build on its own. So I think one of the other benefits besides financial and community is the ability to have equity in a facility. I think it's a great partnership, that the city will have the Y,” Reiser continued. “And I think it's just something that will improve the quality of life that we have in the city.”
Councilmember Hursula Pelote complemented Resier’s statements, saying, “We're giving the community something that they asked for. They want childcare. They want somewhere for seniors to go. So I just say this is a wonderful effort.”
Negotiations with the Y began earlier in 2023 when the city purchased the property from Savannah-based Spiva Law Group with the idea of using the land for recreational purposes.
At a public forum held in April, members of the public expressed a desire for childcare and a place for teens and senior activities.
The YMCA of Coastal Georgia currently has 11 facilities in Chatham, Bryan, Effingham, and surrounding counties. When fully operational, the Guyton YMCA will be the second such facility in Effingham County. The only other Y in the county is in Rincon.
According to the IRS, the YMCA of Coastal Georgia appears to be on firm financial ground. In its IRS filings for 2021 (most recent available on www.causeiq.com) the organization had net assets of $23.5 million, and employed just over 1,600 people. Filings from previous years show that the Y has experienced steady financial growth since at least 2018.
