The Birmingham YMCA at 400 E. Lincoln has closed branch operations, except for summer day camps. Next plans to move into into the building in May 2027.
By: Mary Genson | Birmingham-Bloomfield Eagle | Published May 18, 2026
BIRMINGHAM — The Birmingham YMCA at 400 E. Lincoln has closed branch operations, except for summer day camps, which will conclude Aug. 21.
Ahead of plans for Next — a private nonprofit for people 50 and older in Birmingham, Bingham Farms, Beverly Hills, Franklin and surrounding areas — to move into the building in May 2027, Neumann Smith Architects worked with Birmingham city staff and Next to develop an architectural design plan for the first floor of 400 E. Lincoln, which was presented at a May 4 City Commission meeting.
In June 2023, the city of Birmingham purchased the 400 E. Lincoln property to provide a permanent home for Next. The total cost was $2 million: the city provided $1.5 million and Next contributed $500,000 to the purchase price. The rent is $1 yearly for a 30-year lease. Since the purchase, the city has spent $733,716, and Birmingham Next has spent $250,000 in additional funds.
A senior millage was passed and approved by 69% of voters in November 2023 to fund the building renovations.
During the May 4 meeting, Neumann Smith Architect Design Director Jim Stock shared the “First Floor Building Renovation Scope.”
“First and foremost, we’re interested in making the building barrier-free compliant,” Stock said, specifically, with power door operators at the north vestibule, new door hardware levers and two new barrier-free compliant toilets.
Other renovations that were featured in the presentation include making the renovated area life safety compliant (fire alarms, strobes, etc.); adding new paint, wall base and floor finishes; adding new acoustical tile ceilings, new supply and return air diffusers, and new LED lighting and lighting dimmers; adding new doors and door hardware; and replacing toilet partitions and plumbing fixtures in existing toilet rooms on the first floor.
They propose to use some of the existing furniture and equipment at the existing Next location.
In the proposed first-floor plan, the entrance will remain in its current space, the former library will be a computer room, and a multi-purpose/art room would take the place of the existing fitness area and two offices. Another existing fitness room would be turned into a new cafe or lounge. What used to be a child watch area is proposed to become a fitness room.
In the proposed design, there are only two enclosed offices. The rest are open-office furniture cubicles.
As for the gym, Neumann Smith Architects propose to refinish the gym floors and restripe them as pickleball courts.
According to the presentation, the next steps are to select interior finishes, coordinate with a construction cost estimator and develop construction documents.
“I think the floor plan, using an existing floor plan and knocking out some walls and making the rooms that we need to provide the services and the resources we have for Birmingham seniors, I think it’ll work out pretty well,” Next Executive Director Cris Braun said. “And we’re thrilled that we’re at this point now, and we can kind of see the end in sight, hopefully. And I think it’ll work out very, very well, and I think our members will be pleased when they see it. It’s hard to picture it on a floor plan. So once we have some renderings and things like that, it will be much better. But we’re getting there.”
Approving a motion
On May 4, Temporary Mayor Pro Tem Therese Longe made a motion that was included in the agenda packet as the suggested commission action, to adopt a resolution to approve the architectural design plan for the renovation of the first floor and direct city staff to issue a request for proposals for a contractor to develop construction design-build plans.
Commissioner Brad Host asked Stock if the gym with two pickleball courts would remain a gymnasium when the pickleball people are not in there.
Stock answered, “Absolutely, yes. We are not taking down the hoops or even a curtain or anything like that.”
Host also shared his concerns about the proposed plan not including an Americans With Disabilities Act elevator.
“To reiterate about the elevator. It should be done while we’re doing this to get Next in there, and that way, the city of Birmingham taxpayers can use the entire building. This should be part of the same construction,” Host said at the meeting.
Mayor Clinton Baller said his “understanding as the mayor is that this is phase one and that we have a deadline to get Next in there. This matches up with not only the MOU (memorandum of understanding) but the millage proposal that voters approved to renovate the building for Next. So, we may eventually move to some plans that take into account the upper and lower floors and elevators, but tonight, the only thing on our agenda is to deal with the plans for Next and the first floor.”
Longe said it is a “very reasonable, very cost-efficient, very tight design. I think you did a great job moving a minimal amount of load-bearing walls, not disrupting the hallways or the gym. I think it addresses all the concerns we have. It’s a nice, small kitchen, which many of the commissioners wanted. So it is, I think, a very efficient, very effective design. I think you did a great job maximizing the square footage you had.”
Commissioner Kevin Kozlowski said at the meeting, “I echo Temporary Mayor Pro Tem Longe’s thoughts, and also, I agree with Commissioner Host that I think we definitely want to explore subsequent phases, what else we can do with the building. We do own the whole thing. We’d like to use as much of it as we can. But, I think that this is the right first step. So I will be supporting the motion.”
The motion passed 5-1, with Host voting against it.