(MIRROR INDY) — Swim lessons and first jobs. Morning coffee with friends and basketball games. Day camps. Dozens of people gathered at Amazing Grace Christian Church on the far east side to talk about their experiences at the Ransburg YMCA. “The Ransburg is where we really started to f eel like we lived in Indianapolis and that this was our community and our neighborhood, and really fell in love with it,” said Brittani Howell, an east side resident and Ransburg member. But for the past few months, Howell and other residents have been organizing to save what they call a community staple. Ransburg is set to close March 31. The YMCA said it made the decision to close the facility because of “ongoing financial issues.” Mirror Indy asked for more specific information about the YMCA’s finances, but the organization left most questions unanswered. The names of the Board of Directors for the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis hold a place for each member at a town hall on the closure of the Ransburg YMCA March 26, 2026, at Amazing Grace Christian Church. No board members were in attendance. Credit: Doug McSchooler for Mirror Indy YMCA held a private meeting before town hall More than a dozen chairs sat empty in front of the room. Each chair had the name of a YMCA of Greater Indianapolis board member and their place of employment. Samantha Douglas, president of the Far Eastside Community Council and a community organizer, said this was the third time YMCA leadership did not respond to a town hall invitation. But the morning of the town hall, the YMCA had its own meeting. The organization’s CEO, Gregg Hiland, invited some elected officials to meet with him and board chair Joe White behind closed doors. “This meeting is intended to help answer your questions about the Ransburg YMCA and allow us to share in greater detail the work we’ve been doing over the last 18 months that led to this decision,” Hiland wrote in the emailed invite, which was obtained by Mirror Indy. A YMCA spokesperson didn’t directly answer Mirror Indy’s question about whether the meeting was related to the town hall. “The meeting with elected officials continues our ongoing conversations about the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis,” the spokesperson said in a statement. Indianapolis City-County Councilor Jesse Brown told Mirror Indy he received an invite but declined. Brown, a Democrat who represents an eastside district, instead told Hiland he should attend the town hall. Councilor Michael-Paul Hart, an eastside Republican, said he was invited. Hart has been trying to convince the YMCA and local government officials to find a long-term solution for Ransburg. He keeps the public updated on meetings through his newsletter. Samantha Douglas, an organizer for the event, speaks at a town hall on the closure of the Ransburg YMCA March 26, 2026, at Amazing Grace Christian Church. Credit: Doug McSchooler for Mirror Indy At the town hall, Douglas updated residents on what Hart had shared with Save Ransburg YMCA organizers. “They said they are interested in selling, leasing or possibly gifting under the right circumstances,” Douglas said. “So that’s the first I’ve even heard of anything about like next steps. So that was a little encouraging.” Councilor Andy Nielsen, whose district includes the Ransburg YMCA and whose wife recently gave birth, did not attend the town hall. Losing a community space on the east side Jordan Rose, a Far Eastside resident, said Ransburg has been a part of his life since he was a toddler. It’s where he learned to swim and play basketball. Now, at 29, he works out in the gym. He said he can find a way to get to another YMCA. But he’s worried about how the closure will affect kids in the area. “I’m more concerned about the kids that I run into who use this as a third space,” Rose said. “Third spaces are shrinking across the Far Eastside. I can’t stand to see another one disappear.” Jordan Rose, a community member who grew up using the Ransburg YMCA, shares his stories. A town hall on the closure of the Ransburg YMCA took place March 26, 2026, at Amazing Grace Christian Church. Credit: Doug McSchooler for Mirror Indy. In addition to sports programs and day camps, Ransburg was also home to a child care program and a mentorship program for young men. More than 250 families receive food assistance at Ransburg, which also is one of the few organizations on the east side that offered accessible swim lessons to infants. At the town hall, several community groups shared information about similar programs currently offered at Ransburg. A local church has offered to host the mentorship program. Girl Scouts of Central Indiana will provide free transportation from the east side to one of their summer camp sessions. The YMCA said it will work with Warren Township schools to offer some programs to students. And Ransburg members can use the Athenaeum Turner Gymnasium, a former YMCA downtown, for free until May 5. “This is injustice that we’re experiencing,” Douglas said. “But even in that moment, even in this moment of grief, we’re still finding ways to just fill the holes, fill voids. And I appreciate that so much.” Douglas said the fight isn’t over. A committee is forming to look for ways the building can continue to be used as a community space. “I think that’s the standard we’re going to hold,” Douglas said. “This can’t be a private gym. This needs to be accessible for our kids, for our preschoolers, for all the way up to our seniors. We need to make sure that this stays accessible for folks.” Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations. Mirror Indy reporter Darian Benson covers east Indianapolis. Contact her at 317-397-7262 or [email protected]. Follow her on X @HelloImDarian or on Bluesky @darianbenson.bsky.social. Mirror Indy reporter Tyler Fenwick covers housing and labor. Contact him at 317-766-1406 or [email protected]. Follow him on X @ty_fenwick and Bluesky @tyfenwick.bsky.social. ...read more read less