(Editor’s note: This is the first article in a series of three that will take a look at effects of the Flood of 2004, six months later.)
Tyrone and surrounding communities faced a familiar test in the late fall of last year.
The rising and overflowing waters of the Little Juniata River plagued the area as it has so many times in the past.
In the wake of flooding, the area has undergone some changes including the loss of a 90-year-old institution, the downtown Tyrone YMCA building.
The “Y” was the only known organization or business to completely shut down after the flood. The “Y” had seen numerous other problems due to the building’s age and deteriorating condition. But, the flood left YMCA leaders with no choice but to move completely out of the building on Logan Avenue.
For a brief time last year, some YMCA activities were conducted at the old Penelec building on old Route 220. The Emmanuel Baptist Church which used the Logan Avenue building also used the Penelec building last year after the Logan Avenue facility shut down. Currently, the church meets at the Tyrone Blair Senior Center.
The Tyrone Community Players had already left the Logan Avenue building prior to the flood after the state’s Bureau of Labor and Industry was unable to grandfather the facility from current codes and regulations. After a safety inspection in March of 2004, Labor and Industry had determined that the pervasive deterioration of the building made it unsafe for public functions.
TCP had used the Y’s second floor theatre for performances for many years. TCP is now located in the old library building on Logan Avenue and performances have been held at various sites. The L & I decision forced Y officials to end all activities above the second floor. Residents who occupied third floor rooms were given until the end of October to move from the building.
When the flood hit on Sept. 17 and 18, 2004, the YMCA received extensive flood damage to the gymnasium level of the building, and the facility was closed to the public.
A statement released by the YMCA in late October revealed the building would not be reopened. In part the statement said, “Severe damage to the furnaces, basketball court and weight rooms was the latest blow to the venerable building which had been the subject of a Department of Labor and Industry review which prompted the Board to close the second and third floors. The facility was insured, but the cost of replacing the gym floor and the weight room and repairing the furnaces far exceeds the amount realized from the insurance carriers. The Y expects to receive about $25,000 in insurance while the estimates for the gym floor, clean up, equipment and furnaces range from $70,000 to $80,000.”
Cost to correct the pre-flood problems in the building were estimated to approach one million dollars.
By year’s end, the Tyrone YMCA terminated operations at the Penelec building and at other locations where activities were conducted. The Hollidaysburg YMCA has stepped in to continue the operation of certain programs at Tyrone Area School District’s facilities since the first of the year. The school board agreed to allow the use of classrooms for pre-school and before/after school programs. The board also agreed to allow the use of the district’s swimming pool at no charge to allow Hollidaysburg to continue the swim program.
The decision to terminate the Tyrone YMCA operation was made during a meeting on Nov. 17. The Tyrone Area YMCA had provided service to the area for more than 113 years with its beginnings in 1891.
Now, the building on Logan Avenue is for sale at an asking price of $139,900. The sale is being handled by Richard Johnston of Johnston Realty Inc.
Yesterday, Johnston said the building had not been sold yet and there has been minimal activity on it since it was listed. He said the cost of the renovations and lack of parking are two concerns which make the sale of the building problematic.
Last year, Vice President of the YMCA Board of Directors, Peter Dutrow, said the money from the sale would be used to pay off the YMCA’s substantial consolidated loan.
According to Dutrow, the Logan Avenue facility was winterized, and some of the equipment at the old Penelec building along old Route 220 was sold.
He also said in an article last year, the YMCA Board is continuing to meet, and the members have told the bank they will stay together until all debts are paid.
Fundraising efforts have continued into the new year to raise money to pay those debts.
One of those efforts is coming up next month when the Tyrone Area High School Key Club hosts the Pittsburgh Steelers basketball team at the Tyrone Area High School gymnasium on Saturday, April 2 for a charity game to benefit the Tyrone Area YMCA.
The game is scheduled to tip at approximately 8 p.m., when the Steelers will take on The Tyrone No-stars, a team made up of area business leaders.
Dutrow also explained board members tried to relocate as many programs as possible to other areas in the community. However, the YMCA gymnastics program was not able to continue to be held.
Although the YMCA was the only known business or organization to completely close its doors after the flood, many other businesses in downtown were affected.
Among the most affected were M & T Bank located on Tenth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, Gardners Candies on Tenth St., and Radio Shack. Those businesses were closed for several days after the flood.
M & T Bank officials, both locally and at corporate offices were contacted for an update, but were not able to respond by press time today.
Many downtown businesses were closed on Saturday, Sept. 17 after the flood waters receded and cleanup efforts began.
Business owners, family members and volunteers rolled up their sleeves and salvaged what they could while tossing tons of debris and damaged items which were later removed by waste haulers. In the midst of the cleanup, many of businesses kept their doors opened for customers. Not only did have to deal with the loss of damaged or destroyed property but they also had to contend with the loss of customers cutting into their bottom line if their doors weren’t open for business.
At least two downtown businesses moved because of the flood. Open Door Visions is now located at the Tyrone Social Center after moving from 5 West 10th Street. Conny’s Variety Store moved next door after the floor at its previous location was ruined. Owner Conny Riggleman estimated damage at about $30,000. She said she did not apply for a Small Business Administration loan because she did not want to incur the debt. The loans were offered as part of the recovery program for those affected by the flood.
Several other businesses sustained damages estimated in the tens of thousands of dollars.
