By Mark Hughes Cobb Staff Writer
Published: Friday, July 22, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. Last Modified: Friday, July 22, 2016 at 7:56 p.m.
In saying goodbye to the about-to-be-retired facility at 2405 Bryant Drive, YMCA members, staff and board made it clear the only things left behind would be memories.
The Y’s not a building, speakers including CEO Ashley Waid and board member Mike Reilly said: it’s people. And while the roughly 60-year-old downtown Y has a drained pool, air-conditioning that sputters better in some spots than others, and a general feel of “needs work,” it has over decades housed members swimming, playing basketball, doing aerobics, learning karate and lifting weights, all in a mission to bring families together for healthy spirits, minds and bodies.