Aug 28, 2017 2 min read

For residents of North Strabane Township and nearby communities who have been hoping that a long-promised YMCA facility would be located there, it’s been a rollercoaster season.

First, in June, the township’s board of supervisors scotched a development agreement with the YMCA that would have had the township putting forward $2.5 million toward the construction of a facility there from the gaming revenue it receives from the Meadows Racetrack & Casino. Then, just a month later, North Strabane agreed to a $2 million capital gift, spread over five $400,000 annual payments, to bring a YMCA to the township, something that has been talked about for years.

Now, as the Observer-Reporter reported last week, officials from the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh have apparently developed cold feet, and have decided to “step back” from the process.

Whether it happens in North Strabane or elsewhere, it would be beneficial if a YMCA is once again close to Washington. The city had YMCA and YWCA facilities for years, but both are now long gone.

Having a Y within a community offers undeniable benefits, the most prominent being athletic programs that can help improve health and well-being and reduce stress.

The Y may be “stepping back,” but let’s hope they don’t do so for long.