Crown Point Council approves special use permit for YMCA sports center

Plans to expand the Crown Point YMCA are moving forward. The City Council approved a special use permit Monday for a proposed 92,212-square-foot sports center northeast of the existing building.

“There will be approximately eight basketball courts/volleyball courts/multi-sport courts, 10 to 12 indoor pickleball courts and two entrances,” Crossroads YMCA CEO Jay Buckmaster told council members.

Outside the new building, the YMCA plans to add a synthetic turf soccer field along Main Street and about four outdoor pickleball courts.

Buckmaster said the new sports center will allow for additional court time and new programs. “A lot of this is just to create more family time within the Southlake Y. It’s a busy Y, so we’re postponing a lot of our current sports activities – youth sports activities, games – and allowing for more practice time,” Buckmaster explained.

Councilman Chad Jeffries was concerned about parking and traffic. He assumes that more turning lanes will have to be created on the main road. However, Buckmaster said the site sees far less traffic than when the former hospital opened and that the YMCA would like to extend a long-term parking agreement for the former hospital site.

“We are working on more because we are working with Franciscan on a future plan that may continue to work itself out,” Buckmaster added.

A traffic study is currently being prepared and will be presented to the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission must also approve resubdivision and site development requests before the project moves forward.

The project required a special use permit because the property is in a residential area. Similar permits have been granted for previous YMCA projects over the years.

Crossroads YMCA recently opened a new location in Hammond and plans to convert the old Hammond location into a program center.