DUBUQUE COMMUNITY YMCA/YWCA

The new home of the Y.W.C.A./Y.M.C.A. Photo courtesy: Bob Reding

By 1965, the YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION (Y.M.C.A.) had outgrown its facilities on Iowa Street and, at the recommendation of the United Way's Community Services Planning Committee, began discussions with the YOUNG WOMEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION (Y.W.C.A.) Board of Directors regarding the sharing of joint facilities. In 1968 an option was signed for the Frudden property on Dodge Street as the site for a combined Y.W.C.A.-Y.M.C.A. building. Wayne Andrew NORMAN, Sr. was named campaign chairperson. (1)

Bids for the project were let in August of 1969. In 1970 construction began. The Y.W.C.A. and Y.M.C.A. moved into their new building at 35 North Booth in 1971. An estimated six thousand people toured the facility during the open house. Additions to the building were made in 1980 and 1986. In 1987 the YMCA-YWCA Wendt Adult Center and circuit room were opened due to the generosity of Lester WENDT. (2)

In 2000, the YMCA and YWCA merged governing boards and staff under one corporate entity called the Dubuque Community Y while retaining their respective affiliations to their national organizations. The first director of the combined organizations was Margaret Kolck who was then serving as the Executive Director of the Y.W.C.A. (3) In 2016 there were only three other combined organizations in the United States. (4)

Leadership at the Dubuque Community YMCA/YWCA began discussing the possibility of expanding the land use of Y.M.C.A. UNION PARK Camp with a zip-line tour in early 2010. This opened to the public in May 2011. All profits resulting from its operation were used to advance the mission of the Dubuque Community YMCA/YWCA throughout the community. (5)

Nationally both the Y.M.C.A. and Y.W.C.A. focus on the development of "pillars." The Y.M.C.A. pillars include youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. The Y.W.C.A. pillars are eliminating racism and empowering women. The merged organization in Dubuque focuses on all five pillars. In addition to outreach programs and swimming lessons, the Dubuque organization operates the DUBUQUE COMMUNITY YMCA/YWCA VICTIM SERVICES SHELTER, a victim services shelter and offers fitness classes and child care.

In the summer of 2016 the organization applied for and received a $920 grant from the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs to aid in the preservation and archiving of its documents and pictures. In the same year the Dubuque Community Y served an estimated 10,000 members annually of which about 6,000 were active members who regularly participated in programs or used the facilities. Annually the organization is served by more than 1,000 volunteers. (6)

Reach & Rise Mentoring Program, a youth program for at-risk youth, began in Dubuque in 2014. In 2015 Dubuque had the only Y in Iowa offering the program which began with five mentor matches in May 2014 and anticipated twenty-seven by the end of the first week in February 2015. (7)

Youth in the program establish two goal including one that related to their families. The mentor had to complete an interview and fifteen hours of training before being matched with a student. The youth and their mentor met one to three hours every week for at least one year. (8)

Westside Y along Pennsylvania Avenue.

The Dubuque Community YMCA/YWCA announced on May 19, 2016 that it would close its West End location by July 1. The move would affect about 400 of the Y's more than 6,000 members. Officials said the same programming and equipment would be available to members at their main location on Booth St. (9)

President and CEO Sharon Covey said the move was part of a much larger strategic plan to move the Y forward and potentially find a new location. The current location, which was 45 years old, just did not have enough space with a small pool and only one gym, to serve a community the size of Dubuque. While official research was scheduled to start in late May, 2016 to look into the feasibility of a new facility in Dubuque, Covey said she was confident they had enough preliminary work to be confident that research would show Dubuque is ready for a newer, bigger Y. Covey sid they should have a decision about a new facility in the next six to nine months, and the entire process of having a new facility in Dubuque would take three to four years. (10)

The desire for a new, state-of-the-art facility located on the site of the current facility was announced on September 14, 2017. While details of the facility had not been established, estimates of the cost ran between $18 million to $21 million. A fundraising campaign was announced for the spring of 2018 with groundbreaking in the spring of 2019. The new announcement was a change from earlier plans for a $24 million facility in the Port of Dubuque. (11)

In December, 2017 more detailed plans for the new facility were announced. Among the amenities for the new building were two swimming pools, expanded community meeting spaces, at least two full-sized basketball courts, demonstration kitchen and expanded space for new exercise equipment. The facility was expected to cover between 65,000 to 75,000 square feet. (12)

A $20 million campaign for an expanded Y began on May 31, 2018.

In 2022 it was announced by officials of DUBUQUE INITIATIVES that the organization would operate a new child care facility housed in the 67,000-squaare-foot-former home of MEDLINE.

On December 30, 2023 it was announced that a new child care facility occupying 16,000 square-feet of space was ready to begin operations. The Dubuque Y Early Learning Center at 7900 Chavenelle Road was scheduled to begin accepting children on January 8, 2024. The Center would offer child care for children six weeks of age through preschool during the school year with space for children 5-12 in the summer.

The Center had ten classrooms. Three were designed for infants along with two each for toddlers, 2-year-olds, and a 3- to 4-year old children. The last room was designed for school-aged children, but could be adapted for use as needed based on the number of children who enroll. A large outdoor playground included climbing equipment, sand and water play areas, and raised area where staff members planned to grow lettuce cucumbers, and radishes. (13)

The building would also house a preschool for the DUBUQUE COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT and a 911 operations center to be shared by the City of Dubuque and Dubuque County.

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Source:

1. "Dubuque Community Y," Online: http://www.dubuquey.org/about-us/

2. Ibid.

3. Lyon, Ruth. "YWCA Celebrates 100 Years of Service," Julien's Journal, April, 2003, p. 29

4. Gehling, Maddie. "Years in the Making," Telegraph Herald, September 18, 2016, p. 6A

5. "Dubuque Community Y."

6. Gehling

7. Becker, Stacey. "Youth-Mentorship Program Rises to Demand," Telegraph Herald, February 2, 2015, p. 3A

8. Ibid.

9. Ibid.

10. Hanson, Brad. "Dubuque YMCA to Close West End Location," KWWL.com May 19, 2016. Online: http://www.kwwl.com/story/32021438/2016/05/19/dubuque-ymca-to-close-west-end-location

11. Barton, Thomas J. "Dubuque Y to Build New Facility," Telegraph Herald, September 15, 2017, p. 1A

12. Hinga, Allie. "YMCA Unveils Plans," Telegraph Herald, December 1, 2017, p. 1A

13. Kelsey, Elizabeth, "Excitement Builds Over New Facility for Child Care," Telegraph Herald, December 5, 2023, p. 1