The new faces of the YMCA

PEABODY -- Sneakers squeak across the shiny wood floor. Bouncing basketballs fill the air. A shrill whistle sounds, but not before one more hoop is scored. "There's more space to jump," observed Darius Boyd, 11, of Peabody. "The old gym was too small."

"It's awesome," agreed Johnny Thomas, 11, also of Peabody.

Hoops are hot at the new Peabody-Lynnfield YMCA. The basketball court, built to high school regulations, is the most popular feature of the 40,000-square-foot building on Lynnfield Street.

"This community, along with Lynnfield, is a basketball community," said Greg Griffin, 45, the Y's director. "And the gymnasium, by far, is the most popular piece here. We should have built two of them."

The $7.5 million glass-and-brick facility is off to a fast start. Since opening in November, about 6,000 members, most from Peabody, Lynn, and Lynnfield, have signed up, surpassing all projections. But $1.5 million still must be raised to complete a capital campaign totaling $7.5 million from grants, corporate gifts, and donations.

"We're not quite at the finish line," said Griffin, who formerly worked as director of the Saugus Y. "But we have enjoyed strong corporate support so far, and we believe that, once people see what we're doing here, others will see fit to support us."

YMCAs across the region are expanding at a fast clip, drawing hundreds of new members and attracting millions of investment dollars from public and private sources.

The new Ys, however, aren't just about swimming laps. Features at various locations, such as yoga rooms, therapeutic pools, and a ballet studio, are designed to appeal to members young and old. At the new Peabody-Lynnfield center, annual membership rates range from $695 for a family with two parents to $116.25 for youths under 14.

The new Leggs Hill YMCA, being built on the Marblehead-Salem line, received $17 million in tax-exempt bond financing from MassDevelopment, the state's financing authority. Proceeds from the bond sale will be used to pay for the 70,000-square-foot facility, which will have three pools and a gymnastics center. The YMCA will rely on fund-raising to pay down the long-term debt.

"This allows us to start building while in the beginning of our pledge period," said Jack Meany, chief executive officer of the YMCA of the North Shore, the Beverly-based organization that is building the new facility. "The vast majority of the bond will be paid at the end of five years."

The YMCA of the North Shore -- which includes sites in Beverly, Gloucester, Haverhill, Ipswich, Marblehead, and Salem -- also turned to the state in 2002 to finance renovations at the Sterling YMCA Center in Beverly. The state then floated $6 million in tax-exempt bonds to get the expansion off the ground.

"I think they see it as an investment in economic development," Meany said. "That's a good way to look at this, because Ys are an investment in a community."

The Malden YMCA also turned to the state for help building its $11 million facility that opened a year ago on Mountain Avenue. MassDevelopment issued $5 million in tax-exempt bonding for the project. Tax-exempt bonds are a cheaper alternative to traditional financing such as a construction loan. MassDevelopment issues the bonds, which are sold in the public markets, usually to mutual fund companies. A variable interest rate typically saves a borrower 1 to 2 percent over the life of a loan, according to MassDevelopment.

In Malden, the state financing was used to complement private investment. "People in this area were extremely generous," said Brian Cox, executive director of the Malden Y. "The bond financing allowed us to finance a very substantial piece of our construction costs while we raised money."

Since opening, the 75,000-square-foot facility has attracted nearly 5,000 members. Amenities such as a warm-water therapy pool, heated to at least 86 degrees, have been a big draw. "We're able to offer programs, and reach out to people, in ways we never could have before," Cox said.

In Peabody, the new YMCA fulfills a long-held dream of the late mayor, Peter Torigian. After leaving office in 2001, Torigian embarked on a campaign to build a full-service Y in the community. Prior to that, the Peabody-Lynnfield YMCA offered targeted services, such as preschool, child care, and youth sports leagues on Saturdays. It had an outdoor pool.

"He felt the community deserved a full-service Y where families could come together," Griffin said. "If it weren't for him, this never would have gotten off the ground."

The ambitious $7.5 million fund-raising campaign targeted corporations, nonprofits, and the hearts of many. It also sold the naming rights to everything, from the building -- still available for $1.5 million -- to the reception area. One of the largest corporate donors is Eastman Gelatine Corp.

Eastman Gelatine donated 31 acres of land to the city of Peabody. Four acres were set aside for the YMCA, and the rest was set aside as conservation land. The company also bought naming rights for the stairwell to the fitness center and for a garden outside.

"We didn't do this because we needed exposure," said Paul Carter, director of external affairs for Eastman Gelatine, a division of Eastman Kodak. "We saw this as a chance to invest in a community resource."

Other contributions came from smaller quarters. A kiosk built by vocational education students at Peabody High was installed at the Northshore Mall and collected about $5,000, much of it in pocket change. "It was a good way to get people thinking about giving to the Y," Griffin said. "Every little penny adds up."

The result is a two-story, glass-front building with curved walls. A rock-climbing wall in the lobby adds a touch of adventure. The 6,000-square-foot fitness center is filled with free weights, and has exercise machines with names like Gravitron.

"It's terrific here," Stephanie Hines, 43, a mother of two from Lynnfield, said as she used a torso rotator. "It's affordable, and you can keep your kids active here."

New families have also discovered youth basketball at the Y.

"I like the idea that he can come here and play with the kids he's growing up with," Donald Best, 45, of Lynn, said of his son Damon, 11. "The coaches are super with the kids. Everyone gets a chance to play. That's the way it should be."

Kathy McCabe may be reached at kmccabe@globe.com.