Although I’ve been out of Belleville for more than a few years, my childhood and my family still reside there. Tuesday, a proposal was brought before the YMCA committee to turn the old YMCA (Turner Hall) into an Arts center among other projects. It has been unoccupied for four years after the YMCA moved to it’s new location (where Central Jr. High formerly stood off of HWY 159, downtown).

The Belleville Turner Hall, which also housed the downtown YMCA for nearly 50 years, was built in 1923 to support community sports and cultural activities. Vacant since 2006, this significant piece of Belleville’s history is in danger of being destroyed.

Our goal is to renovate the building to serve as a center for a new Belleville Arts and Cultural Society. The building would house an art gallery, a presentation hall for use by the Belleville Philharmonic Society and other groups, and a museum of Belleville history. The building renovation would use green technology and preserve as much of the original architecture and decor as possible. [Save the Old YMCA/Turner Hall Facebook Group]

I spent my childhood at the old YMCA. First, I took swimming lessons there through a Belleville District 118 program. The YMCA later was a place to spend time with Jr. High friends & learn to work out. Finally, I trained as a lifeguard and became certified in CPR and First Aid through the YMCA’s programs at Turner Hall. This building has a vast history, and has been a part of my own.

Let’s look to the future and invest in the community, as was the original purpose of Turner Hall. Show your support on the Facebook Group + spread the word!