YMCA Breaks Ground
Originally Published: November 13, 2024
Decade Long Effort Moves Forward
Yesterday afternoon, a crowd of several hundred gathered at the site of the first St. Mary’s County Family YMCA as ground was broken on the project. What began 10 years ago as a dream for a community center will become reality when the YMCA opens in 12-18 months. An exploratory committee formed by the County Commissioners in 2019 assessed community needs, location options, and other details related to the endeavor.
The Commissioners pledged $15M in county funding towards the $22M construction total. Maryland’s federal delegation, Congressman Steny Hoyer, Senator Ben Cardin, and Senator Chris Van Hollen secured $2M from the federal government. The remaining funds are community sourced donations, with about $2M still needed. Once complete, YMCA of the Chesapeake will run the facility administratively, on 20 acres leased from the county for a term of 50 years. A Leadership Council and Board of Directors, composed of one sitting Commissioner, the County Administrator, the Chair of the Board of Education, and members of the communities served by the Y, will oversee the facility.
St. Mary’s YMCA will be 63K SF and include multiple community uses and activities. Amenities will include a welcome center, stay & play area, wellness center, indoor walking track, six pickleball courts, a conference room, three multi-purpose rooms, two group exercise rooms, and a kitchen to provide meals and cooking classes. Additionally, the Y will have an aquatics center and will take over operation of the Great Mills Pool.
Located next door to the Great Mills Pool, this community resource will be available to anyone in the area and is expected to serve up to 10K community members. While there is a membership fee, no one will be turned away.
During remarks today, there was a lot of focus on community efforts and joining together to realize a common goal. For some, it was mentioned, the realization of these efforts is the culmination of a 40 year conversation about meeting the needs of the community. This is an exciting development for St. Mary’s County! Congratulations to all those involved in this effort.
