Warren’s Trumbull Family Fitness will not reopen May 26—the date when gymnasiums and exercise facilities have been permitted to resume business in Ohio. Actually, there is a possibility it may never reopen.

21 News has learned that the board of directors may consider the permanent closing of the 92-year old downtown landmark facility depending on the outcome of a survey of its nearly 2000 members.

“Our fear is that with this pandemic, not everybody is coming back or if they choose to come back, they may not on Day One,” Richard Thompson, president of the board of directors, told 21 News Wednesday. “You need a critical mass and without it, it doesn’t work financially.”

Last March, Trumbull Family Fitness suspended operations with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic and the issuance of shutdown orders from Gov. Mike DeWine. “This may or may not continue with the mandate being lifted,” its website warned, which has turned out to be the case for the time being.

Trumbull Family Fitness has posted the survey on its website. Response to its first question will be critical to the non-profit’s fate, according to Thompson. “Will you maintain and utilize your TFF membership,” it asks. If the answer is either “no” or “undecided,” the survey asks for an opinion on six options that might bring members back immediately such as designating classes and hours of use to benefit “vulnerable populations.” The survey also asks those members who do not return immediately if they would consider paying their monthly membership fees “to help offset expenditures so we can remain open.”

Finances have long been a problem for Trumbull Family Fitness and its predecessor the Warren-Trumbull YMCA. In 2014 after an 86-year affiliation, the latter’s charter was revoked by the Y-USA national organization after it determined that maintenance of the building, which opened in 1928, could not be sustained. Trumbull Family Fitness subsequently replaced it.

Since then, operations have been funded from a variety of sources including United Way, personal memberships and the Silver Sneakers program for older members, which is covered by a number of health insurance plans. In 2017, the organization hoped to raise more than $7 million to renovate the facility, but was unable to follow through with its plans.

“This building doesn’t lend itself to comply with social distancing,” Thompson said. “If it hadn’t been for this pandemic, we would not be having this discussion.”

The board president can only hope that members will rally by responding positively to the survey and avert a permanent closing. “This place serves a mission,” he said. “I think the community needs it."