Gift provides fourth Treasure Valley YMCA bldg.

By Brad Carlson

IDAHO BUSINESS REVIEW

Jill Stevens and Susan Norby take their kids to volleyball and basketball practices and games – and know how tough it can be for leagues and coaches to find gym space in the growing Treasure Valley.

The sisters decided to do what they could to help: Develop a 50,000-square-foot building with four basketball courts and eight volleyball courts – featuring upscale hardwood – and a fully equipped exercise center.

They enlisted a familiar entity to run it: The Treasure Valley YMCA.

The YMCA plans to open Homecourt YMCA June 15 on Taylor Avenue west of West Tenth Street, Meridian, Chief Operating Officer Dave Duro said.

“We’re thrilled with the opportunity to serve more of the community,” he said. “Our needs are growing quickly, and this is an amazing opportunity and gift to the community.”

The building will cost about $3 million. The Y will use it rent-free.

“It is very much a win-win partnership,” said Laura Mahan, who directs the Treasure Valley YMCA’s youth-development branch. “We get the use of a beautiful facility to provide more access to kids, and they get what they wanted without managing the facility.”

Norby and Stevens, in their youth-sports travels, noticed a common theme whether they were in the Boise area, Salt Lake City or Portland: a lack of gym space in schools, churches and other buildings.

“We were both thinking the same thing,” Stevens said.

They started planning the building last year. Subsequently, they got together with YMCA program managers.

They are the daughters of Ron Yanke, a Boise industrialist and philanthropist who died in early 2004. The family owns several businesses -&#160including Yanke Machine Shop and mechanical contractor YMC Inc. – and a number of real estate holdings including properties on Taylor Avenue in Meridian.

“Our dad was very involved with children and giving to the community,” Norby said. “We just wanted to carry on that tradition and help out where we could.”

They formed SJL LLC, a partnership with their mother, Linda Yanke, to develop the building.

Homecourt YMCA will be home to Y-sponsored youth sports programs. It also will be available for other groups to rent. Treasure Valley residents who join Homecourt YMCA will have access to the organization’s three other fitness centers.

Treasure Valley YMCA membership nearly tripled in the last three years, and totals about 39,000. The nonprofit organization operates two fitness centers in Boise and one in Caldwell. It also uses schools as available.

The new Meridian building on 3.5 acres contains 7,000 square feet of lease space, available for uses compatible with the YMCA, said Mike Ford, who manages real estate for the Yanke family.

* * *

To contact the author, send email to: [email protected].