Bloomington-Normal YMCA announces sale of old location

Posted on October 24, 2022
Bloomigton-Normal YMCA
The old Bloomington-Normal YMCA facility located at 602 S. Main Street. (WJBC file photo)

By Neil Doyle

BLOOMINGTON – The Bloomington-Normal YMCA Board of Directors has approved the sale of the old YMCA facility located at 602 S. Main Street to Eastview Christian Church.

According to an email from YMCA CEO BJ Wilken, the YMCA and Eastview are under contract to transition the facility into Eastview’s ownership pending a zoning ordinance change.

The facility will be used by Eastview to continue serving the community through food distribution, youth after-school ministry, youth sports ministry along with future partnerships. The YMCA will also strategically collaborate with Eastview in the areas of healthy living and youth development programming.

“We view this ownership transition as a continuation of our mission and recognize the divine intervention taking place,” said Wilken in the email. “It was in 1955 that nineteen individuals gathered in the original YMCA gymnasium to meet on Sunday’s for worship services. Later, that group of nineteen would grow and flourish into present day Eastview Christian Church. How ironic that this has come full circle?”

More information about the sale of the facility was not immediately available.

Neil Doyle can be reached at [email protected]

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