YMCA Groundbreaking Ceremony brings together generations for first new building in more than 100 years

WENATCHEE — If you’ve driven down Wenatchee Avenue, you’ve seen the site of the old PUD building, with excavators and yellow vests on workers at street level and down below the old building where the PUD was housed before moving to the north end of Wenatchee.

But maybe you had no idea that all the work going on there, as well as the work visible as you go down Fifth Street toward the river, was preparation for a brand new YMCA building, which is scheduled for completion by the end of 2026.

The new 46,000 square foot location is a welcome update to a city tradition whose original building at the corner of Orondo and Chelan has been standing since 1913.

The groundbreaking on April 10 was a veritable who’s-who of Wenatchee Valley luminaries, from Mayors Mike Poirier of Wenatchee and Jerrilea Crawford of East Wenatchee, to PUD commissioners and even an appearance from retired State Senator Linda Evans Parlette.

It was the culmination, even if only symbolic for now, of years of determination, fundraising, state funding and of generous gifts from local benefactors whose desire to see the YMCA succeed surpassed even their own goals sometimes.

YMCA Board member Steve Robinson was the master of ceremonies, and he kicked things off with acknowledgements and greetings, and spoke about the importance of the new facility, saying, “A new YMCA facility is so much more than just a shiny new building. It's a symbol, I believe, and I hope you do too, of the community's collective commitment to build something better for tomorrow, something better for our children and our grandchildren, better for people who we may not have even been born yet.”

That may seem hard to follow, but during the ceremony, Mayor Poirier shared an anecdote about how much use he got out of the existing YMCA when he was a kid, from when he moved here at age 12 until he was in his late teens. “At 12 years old, I went down every Saturday, went to the YMCA, and then we got a peanut butter milkshake down at the Owl Drug,” he said. “We need to make sure we have continued support for our teenagers,” he added.

When Robinson took the microphone again, he had a message from State Representative Mike Steele (who could not attend) of the 12th District, which encompasses all of Chelan County:

“I have been so proud to be part of this project and help secure state funding to see the project to fruition. I know how hard so many people in a community have worked to see this project come to life, it is because we care for one another, value our quality of life and share a common vision for a great community that projects like this become a reality in North Central Washington. Thank you again to all the people who have worked so hard to this point, and I look forward to continuing our work together to see this project through to the end.”

Dorry Foster, the CEO of the Wenatchee Valley YMCA, was the keynote speaker. She brought a picture with her of the original YMCA building which spans from Chelan to Mission along Orondo Avenue in order to contrast today’s plan — for which there was a scale model inside on a table — with what the planners and builders from more than 100 years ago were able to do, when it was designed for the era of horse and buggy, or at least the end of it.

“This is 1910,” she said, “and we opened in 1913. It took us that long, and now it's 2025 and we're breaking ground for this. So quite the legacy, and it means a lot.”

The hosts offered refreshments and opportunities for pictures with key members of the team and even some youngsters who are members of the YMCA and the YMCA Camp at Lake Wenatchee. But the feeling at the groundbreaking ceremony was definitely one of celebration and determination. It’s been a long time coming, but Wenatchee has something big on the horizon, and it will serve the entire Valley and beyond.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media