Just Askin': Why is the old YMCA building on UC's campus still vacant?
The Enquirer's Just Askin' series aims to answer the questions that no one seems to have an answer for, not even Google.
We at The Enquirer want to answer your questions.
That's what the Just Askin' column is for. We give you answers to things that you see in our region and make you go "huh?"
Here's a perfect example: The old YMCA building on the University of Cincinnati's campus that is still vacant roughly 20 years after the university purchased the site.
One reader emailed us, saying: "UC did a wonderful job rehabilitating the old YMCA building on Calhoun. But it still has a temporary door and there hasn't been activity around or inside it since basically the start of the school year. Just askin' what's up with its progress and future use?"
Well, here's what we found out.
Question: What's up with the old YMCA building on UC's campus?
Answer: Not much. Seriously.
There are no current plans for the building, a spokesperson for the university told The Enquirer.
The university purchased the 1929 building in 2005 with the plan to hold onto it and use it if ever needed.
However, the university said the building needs major work and renovation to be repurposed. When the building was purchased, it was vacant and in a neglected state. The university worked to secure the building's structural integrity and weatherproof it.
The spokesperson said the university now makes remediations and repairs "as needed." In 2023, the university installed storm windows and made structural and roof repairs to continue protecting it from bad weather. The university also restored the stonework to prevent water damage to the building and cleaned up hazardous materials.
But for the building to be used, well, that will require some more serious TLC. And for now, the university hasn't needed to use the building yet.
Do you have a question for Just Askin'? Send it to us at cinlocalnews@enquirer.com.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Why is the YMCA building on University of Cincinnati's campus vacant?
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