Ottawa YMCA hopes it dodged its last round of flooding

"Rain" is a four-letter word at the Ottawa YMCA.

For the past five years, Facilities Manager Troy Callaway has had to check river levels after every rain to make sure the Fox River wasn't going to end up at the building's front entrance, like it was Tuesday morning.

With the Illinois River in Ottawa coming within 2 feet of a record flood, the parking lot behind the 201 E. Jackson St. facility was under water Tuesday. A wall of sandbags protected the front entrance. Callaway was busy pumping water out of an elevator shaft and was thankful water didn't get into any of the weight rooms or other facilities on the lower floor.

Flooding is a regular occurrence at the Y. This is the third time in two years the Fox River has emptied into the parking lot.

In 2013, flooding bowed the gym floor and caused thousands of dollars of damage throughout the facility.

Executive Director Joe Capece said if the building takes another loss like it did in 2013, the YMCA runs the risk of losing its insurance, and although the YMCA dodged any serious damage Tuesday, seeing the water run up to the entrance is nerve-wracking.

Capece, however, can breath a sigh of relief knowing the YMCA will not be at its Jackson Street location much longer.

A new multimillion dollar facility is being built at the former Central School site. While that site also sits along the river, it will be built 7 feet higher than the current building. The latest flood wouldn't have affected the proposed facility.

"Elevation makes all the difference," Capece said.

The full-service wellness center will encompass about 65,000 square feet featuring a world-class competition pool, spaces for group classes, a community kitchen for healthy eating, a children's adventure center, family locker rooms, elevated indoor track and multi-use gymnasium, among other amenities.

Even though the facility is closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Callaway said he spent his Monday night checking in every couple of hours to make sure water didn't get into the building. In the days leading up to Tuesday, sandbags were filled to reinforce areas of the building.

Once the river recedes, it will leave mud, logs, twigs, mulch and other kinds of debris in the parking lot, and possibly wash away some of the pavement.

Callaway is hopeful Tuesday was his last dance with flooding.

"Being here, we're on constant watch," he said. "You have to be in this location."