Page 34 - BusinessWest May 26, 2020
P. 34

 Working Out Some Issues
Dexter Johnson, executive director of the Greater Springfield YMCA, has been going to his office in Tower Square almost every day since the pandemic started. Some of those days, especially in the early weeks of the pandemic, he was one of the few in the sprawling mixed-use facility that is also home to two colleges, several retail facilities, and, in its office tower, dozens of businesses large and small — many of which were shut down by the pandemic.
“Moving forward, my hope is to combine the best of what we were. There are many people who are absolutely desperate to get back to our community center. We want to be a gathering place, a place where people make connections and share resources.”
Because he’s been there every day, he can effectively gauge to what extent the complex has returned to its pre-COVID level of vibrancy. And as he does so, he’s not exactly a casual observer. Indeed, when the YMCA made the difficult decision to sell the property on Chestnut Street it had occupied for nearly a half-century and
relocate, it chose Tower Square in part because its location amid other office towers could potentially bolster both the fitness-center and day-care divi- sions of its business model.
And, before COVID, there were some early signs that this new location would do just that. Again, that was before COVID.
Today, fitness center membership in the Y — meaning at both its Springfield and Wilbraham locations — is roughly half of what it was before the pandemic (from 3,000 down to roughly 1,500), and a big reason why is that, while gyms have been allowed to reopen (with a number of restrictions, including mask wearing), many office workers have not returned to the office. They’re still at home, working — and often working out.
“For us, the focus is on getting back to what our numbers were pre-COVID,” said Johnson, adding that, while the Y’s membership is very diverse, the office crowd downtown is a key component of any success formula.
And that’s why Johnson closely mon- itors activity in Tower Square. He said the office workers are returning slowly, but there is still a long way to go before things approach normal.
Meanwhile, other factors will play
into when and to what extent the Y
recovers from a quiet 2020, including everything from whether mask wearing is still mandated
at gyms to whether those who had to adapt and
Jennifer Connelly says JA has had to adjust to a smaller staff and new and different ways of carrying out its mission.
           34 MAY 26, 2021
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Staff Photo
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