Bassett Healthcare Network and A.O. Fox Hospital announced Monday, April 17, that they have reached an agreement with the Oneonta Family YMCA to keep FoxCare Fitness open to the public.
According to a media release, Oneonta Family YMCA will lease the space from Bassett beginning June 6.
“When we heard the news of the possible closing, it only seemed natural to try and see how we could assist as a large portion of our business is fitness, senior wellness and aquatic activities,” Frank Russo, executive director of the Oneonta Family YMCA, said in an email.
A.O. Fox Hospital and Bassett Healthcare Network announced at the end of February that it would close FoxCare Fitness on May 31.
Gabrielle Argo, director of public relations at Bassett, said “There will be no interruption in services between May 31, and June 6, when Bassett officially begins leasing the facility to the Oneonta Family YMCA.”
Russo said since the YMCA opened in Oneonta 1883, it has been ready “to help be a community problem solver.”
Members of FoxCare Fitness and the community said they were happy when they heard the news.
FoxCare Fitness Trainer Kevin Larmon said he has worked for FoxCare Fitness twice. He said worked for seven years before he taught art classes at Syracuse University for several years and came back to FoxCare Fitness because “it felt like home.”
A bulletin board at the fitness center has editorials and letters to the editor that ran in local papers expressing why the center should remain open.
“The outpouring of support from members and the community has been truly inspiring,” Argo said. “FoxCare Fitness is a tight-knit community dedicated to their health. Bassett leadership is thrilled we are able to partner with the Oneonta Family YMCA to keep this special facility open to the community.”
FoxCare Fitness has 796 members, Argo said. Russo said the Y has 1,500 members, down from 2,000 pre-COVID-19.
“I’m thrilled to death,” Oneonta Mayor Mark Drnek said of the announcement. The Oneonta Common Council had been discussing the proposed closure during committee meetings and regular meetings and was scheduled to pass a resolution against the closure during Tuesday’s meeting. Drnek said he didn’t know if the resolution would be pulled or kept on the agenda after the announcement was made.
The two organizations are currently working to finalize details on operations, membership, staffing, specific space features, and other provisions for the YMCA’s oversight while maintaining key services to the community, the release said.
The facility will continue to offer cardiovascular exercise machines, weightlifting and body-building equipment, a fitness studio, a strength and conditioning studio with functional training amenities, and pool facilities (including both the lap pool and therapy pool). More information will be forthcoming, officials said.
“The goal right now is to keep the FoxCare site open without interruption,” Russo said. “They have great and highly trained staff in place and we hope to continue providing the quality services the members are accustom (sic) with many of the same familiar faces they are used to seeing. The FoxCare site will be remain a standalone specialty fitness facility with its own membership model very similar to what exists now. We hope to expand program and classes and part of a future vision is to develop select crossover opportunities between facilities.”
Russo said the Ford Avenue YMCA will “continue to focus on programs for people of all ages such as, preschool, toddler time, gymnastics, swim lessons, pickleball, weights, cardio, fitness classes, aquatic fitness classes as well as senior fitness classes here and at the Southside Mall.”
A.O. Fox Hospital will continue to operate outpatient cardiac, physical, occupational and pulmonary rehabilitation services within the FoxCare Fitness space, the release said.