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Bowed but not broken, the YMCA of McKeesport is trying to win back its membership --- though the progress is slow so far.

About 100 people have taken out memberships at the Y's newly opened fitness center near UPMC McKeesport hospital, down from 600 at the old Sinclair Street facility that closed in June 2009.

Yet Jason Weinstein, a member of the YMCA's board and chief volunteer officer, is among those confident that the 122-year-old organization is in the city to stay.

"Our members are starting to come back, and now that we're out in public, we're sure that we'll have more," he says.

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Carrying more than a half-million dollars in debt and saddled with an 88-year-old building that needs about $4 million worth of improvements, the McKeesport YMCA has struggled financially for several years.

But even after closing the pool and fitness center at the Sinclair Street facility, the YMCA has continued offering after-school and educational programs for children and teen-agers, says Dexter Hairston, executive director.

The financial problems are also being righted, he says, with help from officials at the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh.

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That help and the past financial losses will come with a price --- the loss of the McKeesport Y's independence. The city YMCA is one of only two in Allegheny County (the other is in Sewickley) that are not part of the Greater Pittsburgh YMCA.

Hairston says the McKeesport Y expects to merge into the Pittsburgh Y by September.

Post-merger, the McKeesport YMCA's board of directors will become a local advisory board overseeing operations in the city, and will be able to name one member to the board of directors of the Greater Pittsburgh Y.

The Greater Pittsburgh Y has 17 facilities, including two in downtown Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh Y facilities in the Mon-Yough area include Braddock, Hazelwood, Pleasant Hills and Wilmerding.

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There is good news, however --- the McKeesport Y's Camp T. Frank Soles near Rockwood, Somerset County, will not be sold and is open again this summer.

Kids and counselors are at Camp Soles this summer, Hairston says, and it's operating as usual. When the McKeesport Y is absorbed into the Pittsburgh Y, Camp Soles will remain open, along with two other Y camps currently owned by the larger organization, Camp Kon-O-Kwee Spencer near Fombell, Beaver County, and Camp Deer Valley near Meyersdale, Somerset County.

The four-story YMCA building on Sinclair Street is for sale for $450,000, Hairston says. County tax records indicate the building has a fair-market value of $707,800.

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The Sinclair Street building had several amenities that the new fitness center lacks, including a gymnasium, swimming pool and indoor walking track.

But it also had amenities that had given the YMCA of McKeesport a stigma --- 87 sleeping rooms, or small apartments, for low-income men and transients. The residents --- some of them with mental illnesses or other issues --- scared away some potential members who wanted to use the fitness facilities.

The residential program is being taken over by Pittsburgh-based ACTION-Housing Inc., Hairston says, and will continue to operate for the next 18 to 24 months, or until the building is sold.

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And the new fitness center has something Sinclair Street didn't offer --- namely free parking for members at a nearby, outside lot.

It also offers discounted memberships for UPMC employees. In addition, McKeesport YMCA members who want to use the swimming pool at the Wilmerding YMCA can get a dual membership for an extra $6, Hairston says.

Located in the renovated Frank R. Bondi Medical Building, the new fitness center offers cardiovascular equipment, free-weights, free-motion machines and group exercise areas, and is open at 6:30 a.m. weekdays.

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There has been talk of constructing a new YMCA in the city to include a pool, which was one of the Sinclair Street building's most popular features.

''It's important that the YMCA continue to have a presence in McKeesport," says Mayor Jim Brewster, who added that city hall has fielded many calls from upset and worried YMCA members.

"We do want to continue the dialogue with the YMCA and enhance what we have," he says.

For now, the goal is to win back former members and attract new members to the Evans Avenue facility, Hairston says. Classes being scheduled include spinning, pilates, zumba and low-impact aerobics.

"We've got plenty of programs for community members, from infants up to senior citizens," Weinstein, the volunteer coordinator, says.

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The YMCA of McKeesport fitness center, located at 600 Evans Ave., is open 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, and 8 a.m. to 12 noon Saturday.

The facility is closed Sundays and legal holidays. Memberships start at $10 per month for youth and $25 per month for seniors up to $40 per month for families. Call (412) 664-9168 for information.

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