Construction on a new, $26 million YMCA in Middletown is set to begin this month.
The 56,000-square-foot facility, to be built on East Cochran Street near Silver Lake Pool, is scheduled to open in September 2023. It will replace the existing YMCA facility on Cass Street.
It will include a full-sized gym, multiple fitness studios, fitness options for those with disabilities and an indoor pool.
There will also be a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) room for students, a community education room, an adventure zone for children, a universal locker room and a spacious lobby.
“We are incredibly excited to finally break ground on this long-awaited YMCA,” said Jim Kelly, YMCA of Delaware interim CEO. “This is a huge milestone for the Y as we continue our goal to positively impact as many people as possible in the communities we serve.”
Support for the YMCA came from the town of Middletown and the state of Delaware, Kelly said.
The site expects to serve 15,000 people annually through gym memberships, youth sports, summer camps, community-based programs and before- and after-school programs.
Construction was slated to begin last spring with an end date of late 2022, but delays related to the pandemic pushed the groundbreaking back to April 27.
As a result, plans have been expanded to include an outdoor wellness space that will include six cross courts for pickleball and two full-court basketball courts, all open to the public.
There will also be an outdoor playground, a splash park and a functional mobile wellness space for outdoor exercise classes.
The YMCA will bring 300 new jobs to the area.
“YMCAs across the state have a proven history of uniting communities and providing critical services and support to individuals and families,” said Middletown Mayor Kenneth Branner. “Middletown needs and deserves a full state-of-the-art Y, and I am so glad to see years of planning and hard work finally becoming reality.”
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