The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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  • The Mankato YWCA has moved into the former travel agency building on the corner of Broad and Cherry streets. At left is Executive Director Anne Ganey, at right is intern Katie Ludvigson. John Cross

    YWCA1

  • Area Republican lawmakers showed a unified front when legislative leaders came to Mankato for a press conference Monday. A showdown between the Republican-dominated Legislature and Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton is coming to a head in the next four weeks. John Cross

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April 25, 2011

With move, YWCA adds more space

By Robb Murray The Free Press

MANKATO — The Mankato YWCA has left its Northwest Office Building space and is now in a former travel agency’s building at the corner of Broad and Cherry streets in downtown Mankato.

The new location, Executive Director Anne Ganey says, gives them more space. It’s also more visible, which will help with one pesky problem.

“People kept going to the mansion,” Ganey said.

The YWCA hasn’t been at the Cray Mansion for several years. When it was located there the YWCA ran a child care center and held some programming on-site. But upkeep of the building began eating up much of the organization’s budget, taking away funds it could have been spending on programming.

So they moved several years ago to the Northwest Office Building. But that location was costlier than they would have liked. And they began looking for a new location last fall.

They looked at a few locations — including other spaces in Northwest — until looking at and deciding upon a former travel agency’s building on the corner. It most recently was Uniglobe Prestige Travel.

Ganey said the time was right for a change.

“When you’re 85 years old,” she said, referring to the organization, “every now and then you have to refocus.”

The new site is roomy, full of natural light and will allow them to store more stuff on-site. Now they’re using off-site storage, but after a 5K event this weekend for its Girls On the Run program, they’ll be able to store the materials used from the run right on site.

Interns Katie Ludvigson and Jamie Saucier said the new space is a big improvement.

“I have a lot more work space,” Saucier said. “And being on one level is nice.”

Ludvigson said having a more visible physical presence downtown is nice.

“I’ve had people say, ‘I know where you work, now,’” she said.

The move was made March 30. Ganey said the board was committed to keeping the YWCA in the city center. And, ironically, they’re now on the same block as the Cray Mansion.

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