While he calls it the 'worst kept secret in Clinton', Clinton YMCA CEO Rennie Cluver says they continue to make very good progress in fundraising for a new facility in Clinton.

A new facility, planned for the property of the 'Safe Passage' greenspace just off the downtown square in Clinton, has been needed for almost a decade. On the WHOW Morning Show Monday, Rennie Cluver, Executive Director of the Clinton YMCA, told the Hart Media Group the organization’s long-term capital campaign to build an entire two-phase replacement facility is well underway.

Cluver acknowledged Clinton schools do an exceptional job of allowing outside organizations to utilize its gym facilities, but school programs naturally take priority, leaving the Y with highly restricted scheduling windows to run its youth sports programming. 

While the Y will have to lean into hosting tournaments and other events to meet revenue thresholds, its focus remains on its membership and allowing members access to the new amenities of the facility.

The YMCA has completed a successful one-year quiet phase of fundraising - securing more than 80 percent of its phase one goals from a dedicated group of fewer than 40 primary donors. Cluver notes while certain phases of a capital campaign advance rapidly, others require patience.

The YMCA's current location, located on Alexander Street, is original to the 1960s, with an addition built in the early 2000s.