Jamestown Community College President Dr. Daniel DeMarte and Jamestown YMCA Interim CEO John Barber present to the Chautauqua County Legislature (November 20, 2024)
The proposed joint Jamestown Community College and Jamestown YMCA project has received support from the Chautauqua County Legislature.
Legislators voted 16 to 1, with Legislator Terry Niebel voting no, to request the inclusion of the proposed new JCC athletic complex in SUNY’s capital request for the upcoming 2025-26 budget.
The $45 million project would combine the downtown Jamestown YMCA services in with the expanded athletic complex at the college.
JCC President Dr. Daniel DeMarte and Jamestown YMCA Interim CEO John Barber presented on the project to legislators Wednesday night.
DeMarte said the project involves 70,000 square feet of new building space combined with the current athletic facility on Curtis Street. He said the current tennis courts and parking lot to the north of the facility would be turned into two turf fields that have an overlay of a baseball and softball fields.
DeMarte said the total cost of the project is $43,193,330 with JCC taking on $24,004,036 of that. The college is requesting $12,002,018 in SUNY’s 2025-26 budget, $6,001,009 from Chautauqua County, and $6,001,009 that the college and college’s foundation have to raise.
Barber said the YMCA has about $5 million raised toward their $19,189,293 goal and will be looking at submitting a federal grant, reaching out to local foundations, as well as applying for state funds.
He said the project would help expand childcare in the region, create a more accessible facility, and has a potential to increase workforce readiness.
Barber said the nearly 100 year old building on East Fourth Street that the Y currently occupies would either be made available to other organizations to lease or the building would be sold. He said the third and fourth floors currently have HUD apartments that need to remain for 10 more years under a 40 year agreement with HUD.
Leave a Reply