PORT EDWARDS – The new John E. Alexander Community Center is on track to open at the end of March in Port Edwards.
Crews are working to turn what was once the Youth Building on the John E. Alexander South Wood County YMCA’s Port Edwards campus into the new community center, featuring a full basketball court, three indoor pickleball courts, an indoor walking track and a wellness center, all accessible 24/7.
Erin Hess, the CEO of the South Wood County YMCA, showed a Daily Tribune reporter the space Feb. 19, and as of that time, the organization was aiming to open the center on March 30.
The organization is working to offer the best uses for the space and plans to set up pickleball courts during the day and later in the evenings. The YMCA will also have training nets and a pickleball machine people can use to practice their hits. The nets are on wheels, and people will be able to wheel them off of the main floor to offer a full basketball court for after-school youth programs.
The wellness center will operate on the edge of the space, offering treadmills, stepping machines and other cardio and strength equipment. The wellness center space is separated from the main court by a wall with cut-out windows, allowing an open feel and letting parents get in a workout while their children use the court space.
Community partners made new center possible
Hess said the YMCA is looking forward to opening the community center for YMCA members, but the organization is also excited to work with community partners, offering another space for youth and athletic training, agility training and other community programs.
Hess said the South Wood County YMCA is thankful for their community partners that have helped make the community center a reality in Port Edwards.
In January, Hess told a Daily Tribune reporter the entire project, including demolition and renovations, had been completely covered financially thanks to the continued generosity of organizations, foundations and community partners.
The Legacy Foundation awarded the South Wood County YMCA a significant gift in 2025 that made the entire project possible, Hess said.
The Alexander Foundation contributed, as well, to help ensure John E. Alexander’s legacy continued to have a positive impact in the area, Hess said.
Other community partners helped support the renovations, Hess said, including Wisconsin River Orthopaedics, the Bell Family Charitable Foundation, Nekoosa Port Edwards State Bank and ERCO Worldwide.
What’s happening at the former main facility?
Crews continue demolition at the adjacent John E. Alexander South Wood County YMCA main building after it closed on Jan. 1, 2025, at 211 Wisconsin River Drive.
The YMCA announced the closure in December 2024 and said a committee had evaluated the facility’s condition and the capital required to make the necessary upgrades and improvements. The group determined it had “structural uncertainties” and would require costly repairs and instead recommended demolition.
Hess said once demolition is complete on the former main building, the South Wood County YMCA will turn the land into greenspace and will maintain the property as the organization works with the village of Port Edwards to determine and find a developer who would purchase the land and redevelop the site.
For more information, visit swcymca.org or find South Wood County YMCA on Facebook.
Contact Caitlin at cshuda@usatodayco.com or follow her on Twitter @CaitlinShuda.
This article originally appeared on Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune: Your first look inside the new YMCA Community Center in Port Edwards
Reporting by Caitlin Shuda, Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune / Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune
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