Significant progress was made at the future YMCA site in Sumner on Tuesday, Oct. 29. About 30 people from the community, including Mayor Dave Enslow, gathered to commemorate the occasion with a countdown to demolition.

An estimated five buildings will be demolished to make space for the facility, which will sit on a 10 acre property and span 110,000 square feet. The total projected cost of the center is $35 million, $11 million of which has already been raised. Another $1 million fundraising goal remains.

“Not a whole lot of demolition has to occur but we want it completed and cleaned up as soon as possible for community unsightliness and safety reasons before winter,” said Renee Quinn, community relations director for YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties.

Currently, there are no plans for a similar facility on the Plateau, but Mayor Neil Johnson said it’s possible in the near future. The city currently has $1 million set aside for a community center project, he said.

“Right now we don’t have a good handle on the possibilities for where and when since it would need some sort of bond measure to secure the funding of such a project,” Johnson said. “I am hoping we can revisit the parks plan next year to see what changes or updates are needed. From that point, we will need to try and put a plan in place.”

The Sumner YMCA project is on track for groundbreaking in April, according to Quinn.