Birmingham is actively seeking firms to renovate the former YMCA at 400 E. Lincoln into a senior center.
The city posted a Design/Build Request for Proposal on Friday, July 17, with bids opening Monday, August 10, at 3 p.m. at City Hall.
The project will give Next, the nonprofit that has served older adults in Birmingham, Beverly Hills, Bingham Farms and Franklin for 45 years, a permanent first-floor home for recreation, education, wellness and social programming.
Funded by a voter-approved 0.33-mill senior millage generating roughly $3.4 million to $3.6 million over its three-year term, the renovation will transform the building's fitness space into multipurpose rooms. Work includes ADA compliance upgrades, access improvements, code updates and aesthetic refreshes, according to the [city's July 2026 Manager's Report].
A mandatory pre-bid meeting was held Tuesday, July 28, at 11:30 a.m. at the Lincoln Street site. The RFP was posted on the Michigan Inter-governmental Trade Network, and the selected Design/Build team must preserve the existing building while delivering fully accessible spaces that meet federal, state and local codes.
Three years in the making
The path here has been winding.
Birmingham purchased the YMCA building in July 2023 for $2 million, with Next contributing $500,000 of the purchase price. Voters approved the senior millage on Tuesday, November 7, 2023. An Ad Hoc Senior/Recreation Center Committee formed in March 2024 recommended demolishing the building and constructing a new facility. The City Commission capped that potential project at 53,000 square feet and a $32 million bond in September 2024, but ultimately scaled back to a first-floor renovation that fits within the millage revenue.
On Monday, January 26, 2026, the City Commission voted to proceed under a 2023 agreement with Next and hired architecture firm Neumann Smith to develop design plans. A month later, on February 23, commissioners approved a 30-year lease with Next at $1 per year. Under that lease, all Birmingham residents receive free Next memberships.
"Working with Next to provide a place for seniors to congregate for socialization, physical activity, lifelong learning and an older adult services center has been and will continue to be a City Commission goal for our community's older population," Assistant City Manager Mark Clemence told the Detroit News in May.
What's still undecided
The RFP covers only the first floor. The building's pool area, locker rooms and second floor remain without a plan, according to the city's [March 2026 Manager's Report]. The YMCA's summer day camps continue at the site through the end of August under a lease extension.
Construction is expected to begin on or after Tuesday, September 1, with completion targeted for May 2027. After bids open August 10, the City Commission will review proposals and select a Design/Build firm before work can begin.
