Saugus Planning Board set to vote on YMCA addition tonight

SAUGUS – A new 12,000-square-foot gymnastics facility may be coming to the Saugus YMCA.Bruce MacDonald, president and chief executive of YMCA of Metro North, said the project has been in the works for “a couple of years” and is hoping the Saugus Planning Board approves it tonight following a site walk-through last week.?This particular addition is for gymnastics specifically,” said MacDonald. “We consolidated with Melrose, and they?ve had a very successful gymnastics program for the last few years. We were looking for a place to relocate, and it just seems to make sense. We have 14 acres of land in Saugus ? so we thought this was the best place, and we?d build our own and really make it state-of-the-art.”MacDonald said the program will be offered to the entire Metro North YMCA.While he declined to give a dollar amount for the project, MacDonald said the project just went out to bid last week.?We?ll know when it comes in,” said McDonald. “We?re hoping it comes in, in a certain area but I don?t want to throw a number out there right now. We?ll be looking for some contributions but we?re going to be building it ourselves.”MacDonald said bids will come in on March 7.Tonight?s meeting starts at 7 p.m. at the Town Hall Annex at 25 Main St.Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].