All The Facilities For A Young Man (and Others) To Enjoy
The Age
Thursday February 9, 2006
WHEN the partners of the Victoria Point Joint Venture wanted a state-of-the-art gym next to Telstra Dome, they went for the less-lucrative operator, the not-for-profit community organisation YMCA Victoria.
Joint-venture partner Tony Smarrelli said the aim of the exercise was not to make money, at least not directly. The business plan focuses on building a community for the new Docklands precinct. The same community is expected to feed into the 3539 square metres of retail space that the joint venture spent $11.2 million to buy just over three years ago. Apart from one empty restaurant, all the space is occupied. The joint-venture portfolio features 18 retail outlets.In addition and as a separate business, the partners do the marketing and selling of the 447 Victoria Point Docklands apartments.And while a more commercial operator would have provided better returns on the 25-year lease, Mr Smarrelli said building a community first would be be better for the long term, particularly given the boom and bust record of some private operators."We weren't really interested in the money; we wanted a facility for the community to use," Mr Smarrelli said. "We were concerned about having a place where people could feel they belonged."We chose the YMCA over other operators as we felt the YMCA was more community focused and they have been around for a long time; whereas, with other operators, they really don't know how long they'll be there for."The health club, with gym and 25-metre pool is scheduled to open next week. It will feature the all the latest hi-tech equipment and can fit hundreds of people in a rambling space, full of alcoves, corners and cubby holes. The builders are still there, putting the finishing touches on a site designed to create a sense of community. For the YMCA, it's a return to the city after 30 years. After its headquarters in City Road fell into disrepair following the building of the Arts Centre, which destabilised the building's river red gum foundations, the community organisation pushed out into the suburbs and regional Victoria, creating 147 YMCA community recreation facilities around the state.The YMCA already has form working with developers building communities. In 1998, in partnership with Becton and the University of Melbourne, it started managing Becton's $115 million College Square near the university. Apart from managing the building and being in charge of the maintenance and promoting it for international and interstate students, the YMCA provides services that include counselling, tutoring and religious programs. It also provides clubs and camps, and runs programs helping students connect with the broader community including those living in the high-rise area.The YMCA will be involved with Becton's College Square on Swanston facility.YMCA Victoria chief executive Peter Burns said that the gym would be run according to the same philosophy that exists at all the other YMCA facilities around the state. No one would be turned away because of financial hardship.The aim is to create a total community involvement. Young professionals will be encouraged to help out with bike rides and fun runs, and even lend a hand with the YMCA's work with homelessness, drug dependence and those caught in the juvenile justice system.And whereas, once upon a time, the church or pub was the community meeting place, the recreation centre has now become the place towards which people gravitate as part of their "third community", after family and work."We have a vertical village here the size of a country town and we are creating a community and that's good business because people will spend more money here if they feel they belong," Mr Burns said."They care if the local retailer is around because they identify with him, and that makes good economic sense."
© 2006 The Age