New lodging space planned at former YMCA in Astoria

Jan. 27—The Astoria Planning Commission has approved a conditional use permit to allow lodging on the upper floor of the former YMCA downtown.

Over the past several years, Noel Weber and his family have restored the historic building at 12th and Exchange streets.

Gathered Bakeshop & Market and Shift+Wheeler, a clothing store and sewing studio, moved into the ground floor in 2020. The Webers recently renovated an attached gymnasium, and plan to use it as a work space for creative businesses and artists.

The permit, approved on Tuesday, will allow Weber to use the 2,000 square-foot space on the upper floor to house artists and people who travel for workshops. The space will also be used as vacation rentals.

"Over the years we have restored and transformed this building into what it is today," Weber said in his application. "We have thoughtfully curated a creative community within the Y, providing space for local entrepreneurs, small businesses and artists, and making it accessible for the public again.

"Possible cross pollinations and collaborative efforts amongst the people that use the building are a core strength of the Y today. Maintaining the top floor as temporary lodging gives us the opportunity to make this space available to everyone in the building, adding to these collaborative possibilities of the current tenants."

He said Gathered Bakeshop & Market has plans to host workshops in cake decorating, and Astoria Design Studio would like to organize screen printing workshops.

Weber also plans to use the space for an artist-in-residence while artists use the studio in the renovated gym.

When the space is not being used by artists and people attending workshops, Weber plans to rent the rooms as vacation rentals.

He said using the top floor as short-term lodging is fitting since that is what it was used for when the YMCA was originally built.