White Foundation offers $23 million package to bring Crossroads YMCA into Merrillville community center; residents voice access concerns

The Dean and Barbara White Family Foundation has offered the Town of Merrillville $23 million to transfer ownership and operations of the town's community center to Crossroads YMCA, a proposal the town's parks committee discussed at length at a public forum Thursday evening.

The foundation's executive director, Bill Hannah, said the package would relieve the town's debt service on two bonds and supply startup funds for a YMCA operator while returning roughly $4 million to the parks department for local projects. "What our offer is is that 23 million, you know, to help relieve the debt for the community plus the other use of the existing gift...in support of the parks department and a ramp up period for the YMCA," Hannah said.

Councilman and Parks Committee Chair Sean Pettit framed the financial rationale in practical terms: the sale would eliminate two bond payments that currently amount to about $1.7 million a year in debt service and free redevelopment allocation revenue for public safety and other priorities. "There's not a whole lot that someone's going to tell me that's going to change my mind. I am 150% behind this project," Pettit said.

Crossroads YMCA CEO Jay Buckmaster described the YMCA's operating model and membership services, saying the association reinvests revenue and provides financial-assistance programs to lower fees for eligible households. Buckmaster told the room that the Y network serves about 165,000 members countywide and that more than 5,000 people in the Marville ZIP code are Y members, a penetration he said helps sustain programming across multiple locations.

Why it matters: supporters say the transfer would remove a recurring debt burden and allow the town to redirect money for firefighter and police salaries, parks improvements and other local needs. Opponents and skeptical residents said a private operator's membership fees, joiner charges and program rates could place formerly free amenities behind a paywall.

Residents raised a range of explicit concerns during public comment: whether existing leases (Pop Warner, IU Northwest soccer and other community users) would be preserved; how staff and current programming would be treated under a new operator; and whether seniors and low-income residents would retain access without steep new costs. Buckmaster and council members repeatedly said existing leases and community agreements would be part of the negotiated sale and that staff retention and program continuity would be negotiated with attorneys and the Y.

Conflicting fee figures arose in public discussion: Buckmaster gave an example of a senior membership near $33 per month (about $400 per year), while a resident later said the YMCA's senior rate is $36. The town and YMCA representatives acknowledged membership models vary by household and noted the YMCA operates an income-based financial assistance program; they also proposed targeted municipal subsidies, for example using food-and-beverage-tax proceeds to offset memberships for seniors or low-income residents.

Financial and operational detail: Pettit and Clerk-Treasurer Eric January told residents the town has collected about $2.3 million in food-and-beverage tax revenue since February 2024, money earmarked for parks, tourism and economic development. Pettit said the town previously issued a $33 million bond package covering a new fire station, road projects and paving; those projects carry their own debt service. Pettit said the White family's proposal would eliminate the two bond obligations tied specifically to the community center and free an estimated $1.7 million per year in allocation-area funds.

Process and next steps: no vote was taken. Pettit said the council has drafted a "sense of council" resolution and that any final transaction would require council approval, attorney-negotiated terms and a phased transition that town leaders estimated could take 12 to 15 months. Pettit urged residents to review the forthcoming resolution and stay engaged at upcoming council and committee meetings.

Voices from the meeting: supporters emphasized program expansion and youth services. "Let's make this thing happen and the pool can come later," resident Darian Collins said, pressing for broader opportunities for teens and children. Opponents warned of losing a free community resource. "This center has been a pillar for my family," a resident said; others urged slower, more transparent negotiations and clear guarantees for local users.

No formal action was recorded at the meeting. Council members said attorneys would draft a binding agreement if the council votes to accept the offer; details such as lease preservation, staff transition plans and specific subsidy programs would be written into that agreement and presented to the full council for a vote.

The parks committee and town council have scheduled further public meetings; the committee chair said the council must decide whether to accept the foundation's offer before attorneys finalize transaction documents. Residents were encouraged to contact their ward council members and attend the next meetings to express support or concerns.