
Robbie Gill
On the evening of June 18th, a crowd gathered in the gymnasium of the Pauline F. and W. David Robbins Family YMCA in Cambridge for a meeting on a controversial subject. People sweated in the sauna-like conditions of the echoey gym as Robbie Gill, CEO of YMCA of the Chesapeake, presented the results of a market study on the possible future of the Cambridge Y.
“We were working on a plan, as some of you may have heard, to renovate this facility prior to the pandemic and trying to figure out how to build a bigger wellness center,” said Gill, who added that they had wanted to “really try” to make the current facility the best they could.
But then the pandemic hit in 2020, and all the services of the Y were shut down. However, at the same time, they began building a new 52,000-square-foot facility in Chestertown, which opened in January 2022. With a double gymnasium, walking track, warm water pool, and other state-of-the-art offerings, it became very popular and currently has 6,100 members.
“And it was at that point we really paused, and we said, maybe we need to get a better understanding of what Dorchester County needs from a facilities, amenities, and programs standpoint before we try to navigate a building that was built in 1929 to teach kids,” said Gill.
So, they contracted Triangle 2 Solutions for a market study of the Cambridge community to find out what potential Y members would want and need in a facility and which of three locations they would most likely wish to visit. The sites tested were the current facility on Talbot Avenue, a property on the corner of Maple Dam Road and Route 16, and the waterfront area that is intended to become the Cambridge Harbor complex. Gill made sure to reach out to Cambridge Waterfront Development, Inc., which is responsible for the Harbor project, and CWDI was interested in the partnership.
Gill turned the presentation over to Lori Swann and Tom Massey, Triangle2’s CEO and president, respectively. Massey explained that their company, which was founded in 2000, works only with nonprofit organizations, churches, hospitals, boys and girls clubs, and YMCAs, the last of which they’ve conducted more than 250 studies for. Then Swann went through some data slides and explained the results of their Cambridge investigation.
Triangle2 interviewed 814 households that were not already members of the YMCA. While they did conduct a small email survey, the results Swann presented at this meeting were those of only the phone interviews. The majority of the people who participated in the survey, 68%, had lived in the county more than ten years.
Before mentioning anything about the sites, prices, or amenities, Triangle2 asked if the respondents would be interested in joining the Y, and 44% said they were likely to join, while 25% said they were “somewhat likely.” Some said they wouldn’t join because “they were too old.”
“The Y’s a lot more than exercise,” countered Swann. “But this was just community perceptions.”
People who were interested said they would want to use the cardio or strength-training equipment, participate in group exercise, or meet new people. But the most popular facility named was a warm-water pool “with fun features” (61% of respondents).
“Water exercise, exercise classes come in real close behind that,” said Swann, “but everybody wants it all when it comes to aquatics.”
It should be noted that the current Cambridge Y does not have a warm-water pool.
Swann ended her talk by stating that a building at Cambridge Harbor would double the number of people who could be served at the other two sites tested. “I’m not saying they weren’t good sites, but they’re not as good a site as the waterfront site.”
When Gill took over again, he picked up on the theme of the pool, which currently is a lap swimming pool that has no shallow entry and so cannot accommodate children who haven’t yet learned to swim. Also, people with limited movement ability have challenges in accessing the pool.
“These new pools that we build have one or two steps in a very shallow area,” Gill said.
He added that a new, larger facility would allow for a double gymnasium that could have multiple programs and features, including a track where members could walk in the air conditioning on a hot day.
“And so, in essence,” said Gill, “what we want to do is address community need, and there’s no community that’s more deserving of a newer YMCA than this one.”
A sample of the slides shown.
Totally unacceptable. So much land around the current Y. We need to eliminate all those associated with the Harbor who support this. If the Y wanted to address the needs of the community, they would not charge seniors over 50.00 to join.
The harbor may be the great location for the YMCA, but, in my view not the most suitable for the harbor project. Out of town people entering Cambridge via the Malkus bridge are not interested in visiting a YMCA. These folks are looking for entertainment not exercising. Good food, shopping, lodging and beach activities. That’s what will lure visitors to spend money in Cambridge, not a YMCA! I have lived in Cambridge all of my life and for the last 17 years have operated a successful business in downtown. We have a real opportunity to draw new people to Cambridge and I hope we don’t blow it. Cambridge needs new customers not exercisers. I have been a member of the Y and really enjoyed the facility, actually graduated from high school there. No doubt the Cambridge community is in need of the Y, which can be enjoyed just where it is…with plenty of room to expand. I like the YMCA as do ALL of my friends, just Where It Is. Thank you for the opportunity to share my views.
I recently rode around the current YMCA and there is a ton of space available to add a warm water pool or other facilities to the current location. The current site seems ideal because there is little traffic and good parking and it’s easy to walk there for much of the surrounding community . It’s also very close to town and is located in a very pastoral setting with little crime. I really have a hard time understanding the push to build a new Y in a prime spot on or near the water that is really needed to showcase Cambridge to draw more residents and visitors to our beautiful city. It seems to me that we are setting the bar way too low and instead should be aiming to create a transformative experience that people will remember for years to come. If done right, Cambridge can become a jewel on the Chesapeake Bay where everyone wants to live, work or visit.
When is enough enough? I would like reinforcement to stay here. There is already an influx of people moving to the area, judging by all the newbies added to neighborhood websites. We were all excited by Sailwinds and the great entertainment and venue opportunities it would provide; where are they? Build more tourist shops (with 0-1 employees) and watch them shut down during the next crisis. When you develop real community, people will still come here as they want to live in a good neighborhood. On the Eastern Shore all my life, I grew up in Rehoboth Beach and left there due to all the development and overgrowth. It isn’t even a nice place to visit now. The Y location is not a big deal for me, but I feel it’s a great use of the harbor space. I will say if popular programs are offered at a good facility, location is not a huge factor, except for safety issues.
Gill said that he has $25 million in donations for the new YMCA. Is that only for the Cambridge Harbor location?