Crescenta Valley Family YMCA makes a splash
There was a ribbon cutting and celebratory feel at the Crescenta Valley Family YMCA on Saturday, as its services and programs were showcased for visitors during an open house.
The third branch under the umbrella of YMCA of the Foothills, the Crescenta Valley facility has been serving families for six months at the site of the former Foothill Athletic Club.
The 15,000-square-foot facility, just off the 210 Freeway at 3931 Lowell Ave., has been refurbished.
“I think it’s a big plus for the community,” said Chris Aristo, honorary mayor of the Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce. “It’s incredible when you get an organization like the Y to expand. I like how this one is community-focused. It’s great for children.”
With the addition of its third facility, YMCA of the Foothills now boasts a membership of about 32,000. Its other locations are the Crescenta-Cañada Family YMCA in La Cañada and the Verdugo Hills Family YMCA in Tujunga.
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Chris Waldheim, a former board of the YMCA of the Foothills, was on the board when the idea to explore a third facility first came up
“It’s coming full circle to bring to the community the best of what the Y has to offer,” he said Saturday.
It’s coming full circle to bring to the community the best of what the Y has to offer.
— Chris Waldheim
Some of the unique offerings at the Crescenta Valley Family YMCA include an outdoor pool, dedicated yoga and cycling rooms, as well as a children’s education and daycare service room, dubbed Building Blocks.
“The other facilities have combination rooms,” Waldheim said, adding that the former athletic club was more oriented toward adults than children. “I really think it’s the best thing to come to fruition here.”
Tyler Wright, president and chief executive of the YMCA of the Foothills, said the former athletic club went through “extensive” renovations.
“Our hope is that it will be a facility to broaden the impact of service to the northern Glendale and La Crescenta area,” he said, adding that he believes the purpose of the YMCA is to save lives. Sun Valley is the next most underserved community in the area, and will be the board’s next endeavor, he added.
The deal to purchase the former athletic club was closed after Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, on Jan. 18, Wright said, and in 72 hours, staff and volunteers worked diligently to repurpose the facility to open to new members. One of the major renovations was the outdoor pool, to make it more commercial.
“It’s great,” said Jodie Kendall, former co-owner of the athletic club. “They’ve added more programs. It’s more diverse.”
Glendale resident Gage Davidson sat at a picnic table with a friend outside the YMCA on Saturday morning eating a chicken wrap given out for the opening celebration. He had just completed small-group and weight-training exercises.
“I really like it,” he said.
The new facility also has a fitness room, elevated activity room, wellness center, yoga room, dance studio and more. Membership for adults is $59 per month, $89 per month for families, $54 per month for seniors and $25 per month for youth. For more information and a virtual tour, visit www.ymcafoothills.org/crescenta-valley-family-ymca.html.
Sanderson is a contributor to Times Community News.