Multi-purpose building in play

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By Gary Budzak

[email protected]

The Ohio Army National Guard Delaware Training Center next to the YMCA.
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2015/07/web1_guard.jpgThe Ohio Army National Guard Delaware Training Center next to the YMCA.

The Ohio Army National Guard Delaware Training and Community Center is now being used as it was intended — as a multi-purpose building.

“This week, we had a basketball camp for kids that was held in the gym over there,” said Roger Hanafin, youth, teen, & family program director at the Delaware Community Center YMCA. “It’s a very exciting thing.”

At its Monday meeting, Delaware City Council unanimously approved an agreement with the National Guard for shared spaced use in the building. The shared space areas of the center include the drill floor, which doubles as a gymnasium; storage room; kitchen; three classrooms; public restrooms; and public parking spaces.

“It was always understood that the city would have access to the ONG building during ‘non-drilling’ times,” said the council fact sheet. “The city will convey the operations of the space to the YMCA which allows for proper management of the space.”

The National Guard building and the Delaware YMCA are next to each other.

“We’re moving cautiously, but we are starting programming and will expand as time goes on,” Hanafin said. “We’re making sure the National Guard gets the first dibs, and the city uses the space as well, and making sure we’re all on the same page.”

The memorandum of understanding states that the National Guard will have use of the shared space two weekends a month, or as scheduled. If the National Guard is ordered to active duty, it would be able to use the entire center for equipment sorting and packing during deployment.

A ribbon cutting for the training center occurred on April 20, and since then, personnel have moved into the building and are getting used to the new digs.

“Community areas are available now,” said Lee Yoakum, the city’s community affairs coordinator, in an email. “Groups can contact the YMCA to reserve at 740-203-3051 or [email protected].”

Gary Budzak may be reached at 740-413-0904 or on Twitter @GaryBudzak.

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