Anyone who lives in Orange County”™s largest town will tell you there isn”™t much to do in the way of recreation or a community center for Monroe”™s residents.
That will happily change come early fall when a new Southern Orange Family YMCA will open its doors on Gilbert Street Extension off Route 208 in the village of Monroe. The total cost of the project is estimated at $2.5 million, which includes site work.
Project managers Irving and Alan Zuckerman are excited for the community and for themselves. The new YMCA, an offshoot of the Middletown and Sullivan County YMCA, will be within walking distance of their offices. “Now we can go to work and then workout without getting into our cars,” smiled Irving Zuckerman. “We are really pleased to see this coming into the Monroe community; there is not much here for our families or young people and this will be a welcome addition.”
Irving Zuckerman said residents have wasted no time contacting the Y in Middletown, which is already fielding calls for memberships.
“They have been very creative and thoughtful about the way they want to best utilize the space,” said Zuckerman. “We are turning a single-floor facility into two in the K&MÂ Newspaper Service building, where the Middletown YMCA is leasing the space with an option to buy it.”
Town officials expressed delight at the Y coming to the community. Both town Supervisor Sandy Leonard and village Mayor John Karl said they had “waited a long time. We look forward to the YMCA becoming a staple of our community.”
One of the amenities that made the site attractive to the YMCA was its proximity to the Heritage Trail, which runs from Monroe to Middletown. “There is an entrance right at the foot of Gilbert Street,” said Irving Zuckerman. “The Y plans to install bike racks and include plenty of parking for members. What a plus for Monroe. It”™s been a long time coming, and we”™re glad we were chosen to be project managers. It”™s really a pleasure.”
