By: Mary Genson | Birmingham-Bloomfield Eagle | Published August 18, 2025
BIRMINGHAM — The Birmingham City Commission decided to not go forward with a $36,640,000 bond proposal for the Birmingham community and senior center at a meeting Aug. 11. The motion failed 5-2 — with Commissioner Anthony Long and Mayor Pro-Tem Clinton Baller in favor of putting it on the ballot for voters to consider.
The vote and discussion at the regular City Commission meeting followed a workshop session on the topic, which involved a public comment portion.
Background
The city had been in discussion about the property at 400 E. Lincoln for two years when the city and Next purchased it. At the time the purchase was made in 2023, the plan was for the building to be used by Next senior services. NEXT agreed to contribute $500,000 to the purchase, and the commission approved a three-year lease agreement of $1 per year allowing the YMCA to continue to provide its services after the city closes on the purchase. The idea was to provide a three-year transition period where the YMCA would continue to offer services and have some responsibility for the maintenance of the property. After that, senior programming was supposed to occupy 75% or more of the square footage of the YMCA building. The three years were intended to allow time for planning, financing and necessary renovations to occur.
On Nov. 7, 2023, voters approved a 0.33-mill senior tax to update the building for Next. The three-year levy passed 69% to 31%.
However, a change in leadership at the YMCA occurred and the YMCA decided that they wanted to continue as a fully operational branch.
At the city commission workshop on Aug. 11, prior to the city commission meeting, Parrish Underwood, president and CEO of YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit said, “I want to be clear, despite what anyone may feel, at no point has it been the YMCAs intention to be a disruptive force to Next’s plans or to diminish the critical work they do. Quite the opposite. From the beginning, we believe that a partnership between our two organizations could create something exceptional, combining the YMCA’s broad capacity and resources with Next’s deep expertise in serving older adults. Together, we envision a place where the entire community could thrive. At every point of challenge in this process, the YMCA has sought to offer solutions and not roadblocks.”
The city has since spent time working out how to provide Next and the YMCA the space and resources they need, in addition to including community space and facilities. After an assessment from NORR Architects, the city decided to build a new building that would provide space for each community need, rather than renovate the existing building.
However, when the cost was estimated to be approximately $36.1 million, the city tabled this discussion.
Commission discussion of options
During the Aug. 11 workshop and City Commission meeting, the commission and the public considered three options. However, no vote can be made at a workshop, and the only item that was up for a vote at the commission meeting to be put on the November ballot was Option 1: building a brand-new building that would house Next and YMCA operations.
Neumann Smith Architects created a schematic design for the city. The building would be 47,260 square feet and would have a pool, among many other amenities. However, financing for this option would be dependent on a bond vote, which the commission voted against putting on the November ballot.
Option two involves a remodel, designed by YMCA staff and national architect GRO.
This option also includes new construction space, but at a reduced cost. However, this option does not address all of the building’s current issues, such as fire suppression and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance of the pool. The YMCA estimates that the final cost would be $27,477,284 and would require a bond proposal.
Option 3 includes compliance with the MOU between the city and Next. This option includes updating the building to address ADA compliance and other issues to allow Next to move its operations to the building. This option involves closing the pool. The cost would be $3,500,000 and would be paid for by the already-passed 2023 senior millage.
At the City Commission meeting, Baller and Long both spoke on their opposition to option 3.
“I don’t think we should put a dime into that building. I still think we should tear it down,” Baller said.
“I think it’s a mistake, because I think it’s going to eat the city alive going forward, for the cost to keep that building going, based upon, not my opinion, based upon the studies that we’ve already had. So that’s my view,” Long said.
Baller suggests the city consider a fourth option that would ask for less money in a bond to be used to create a new home for Next. However, this option was not able to be pursued at the meeting due to the deadline for the bond proposal being the day after the meeting, Aug. 12. Additionally, the bond proposal language up for approval has to undergo a thorough review process.
In the meeting, members of the commission also shared their opposition to putting the proposal on the ballot.
Commissioner Brad Host said, “The proposed project is too much money. The unpredictable economic environment we have just does not warrant trying to get money from our citizens,” Host said.
Mayor Therese Longe said she doesn’t think they should put something on the ballot “that the commission does not uniformly and wholeheartedly believe is the optimal solution, and that is my concern. So even though I love this project, and I was one of the strongest advocates for it, I just can’t support putting it on the ballot to let it fail. I think that there’s political capital and opportunity cost to that,” Longe said.