Basketball enthusiasts who frequent the downtown Phoenix Lincoln YMCA will be finding a new home court for the foreseeable future due to renovation efforts, according to YMCA Senior Executive Director Greg Corns.
Renovations started this month will last approximately five weeks, finishing in mid-October. The project will upgrade the nearly 60-year-old court with a new maple floor, underlying supports and paint paid for by a $100,000 grant from the Phoenix Thunderbirds, Corns said.
Thunderbirds Director of Charitable Giving Cheryl Ruggiero said the organization donates money to charities all over the city.
“(The Thunderbirds have a) long history with the YMCA along with hundreds of other organizations,” Ruggiero said. “The YMCA has such a vibrant history in Phoenix with the families and business professionals.”
The grant, according to Ruggiero, was given to and organized by the YMCA to start right after summer when it would have the least amount of impact on those who use the gym.
Journalism junior Dennis Tolliver said he has played on the court for years, starting in high school. But he said it has some problems with “dead spots” on the floor.
This has been a problem for years, Corns said, adding that the new floor will be “state of the art,” with foam supports underneath and a new maple floor on the top.
YMCA members will have access to the Christown YMCA, which has a basketball court, while construction continues, Corns said.
Journalism sophomore Josh Frons said that playing basketball is no longer convenient since the Lincoln YMCA court closed, and that he didn’t have the time to travel to and from alternate locations.
But some students, including exercise and wellness freshman Payton Vermeesch and journalism freshman Peter Erickson said that they are willing to wait for the installation of the new court and aren’t too picky about where they work out in the meantime.
“I was probably going about five times a week,” Erickson said. “It was pretty bad, it had a lot of dead spots … so I’m excited about the renovation happening because is going to be so much better. But it is still a month without basketball, which is kind of a bummer.”
Erickson added that he thought there was not enough communication about the construction. Announcements had been posted around the gym for at least a month before construction, Corns said. Information on the construction is also posted in the lobby of the YMCA, including updates on the construction of the new student recreation center next door.
The Lincoln Y will be celebrating its 60th anniversary on Oct. 3 at its current location and 120 years of the YMCA in Phoenix with a gallery of archival photos in the Lincoln Y gymnasium.
Contact the reporter at john.nussbaum@asu.edu
