The Project

 Summary

The vision of a multi-generational community center for the Desert Foothills area is on its way to becoming a reality. It will be a place where a activities and programs can occur for all age groups.

The facility will be centrally located just south of the intersection of Carefree Highway and 60th Street. There will be three distinct components:

• A YMCA operated by the Valley of the Sun YMCA, will be the most prominent of the facilities. Phase I will include state-of-the-art fitness facilities, a Teen Center, handball courts, and a swimming pool complex with a teaching and recreational pool. A future phase will include a gymnasium and an outdoor jogging and running track. The facility has been designed to appeal to a range of age groups, as well as families.
• A Community Center will have facilities to appeal to the needs of more senior members of our community, as well as providing meeting space for community non-profit groups. The Foothills Community Foundation will manage this facility. 
• An educational component, provided by Paradise Valley Community College, will include classrooms and a computer laboratory. This will be used for various instructional purposes including an aggressive program of continuing education. This unit will be physically linked to the Community Center to enable a sharing of facilities as well as other synergies.

The YMCA and the Community Center will be funded by $10 million in private
donations. The educational component will be financed by the Maricopa County Community College District.

The Beginnings

In 2001, the Foothills Community Foundation (FCF) sponsored a “community needs assessment” survey to provide a baseline for long range for FCF as well as other not-for-profit organizations.

The geographic boundaries for the survey were generally the boundaries of the Cave Creek Unified School District, including all of Cave Creek and Carefree and parts of north Scottsdale and northeast Phoenix.

The survey disclosed the need for a multi-generational community center, with activities and programs for age groups. These activities would encourage learning and social activities, bring family and friends together, and promote healthy living through both physical activity and wellness education programs. In addition, not-for-profit organizations expressed strong interest in quality meeting facilities for their programs.

With these findings in hand, FCF initiated a task force to investigate the feasibility of such a project and if determined to be feasible, the best way to accomplish it.

Moving Forward

The FCF Task Force evolved into a Project Steering Committee with broad community participation, including FCF, Valley of the Sun YMCA, Paradise Valley Community College, Kiwanis Club of Carefree, Cave Creek Unified School District, and Scottsdale Healthcare. This concept of community-based partnerships is an integral and important core of this project.

Costs

The cost of the YMCA and the Community Center will be between $9.5 and $10 million. This includes land and construction costs; furnishings; and administrative, fundraising and financing expenses. It also includes an $800,000 endowment component. Below is a summary of the project budget.

* Funded by Others
** Includes 10% allowance for escalation and contingencies