To continue meeting the changing needs of the community, the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA has begun the process of building a new 70,000-square-foot facility in the Tampa Heights Historic District.
Recently, the Tampa Architectural Review Commission approved the Y’s design plans for a six-acre, multi-use development that will include a corporate office tower, boutique hotel, retail space, over 400 residential and condo units, and the new YMCA. Overall, the project will add 1.3 million square feet of space for the Tampa, Florida, community.
“You’ve always heard about the YMCA being a place to live, work and play, and this is really the definition of that where people can do each of those together,” said Matt Mitchell, the president and CEO of the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA. “It will be a place where the people who’ve lived here for generations still feel like it’s their YMCA and a part of their community.”
Mitchell said Y leadership first looked at renovating the current YMCA to provide all the enhancements it needs. However, after looking at the investments and substantial costs needed to do so, they instead looked at building a new facility.
Eventually, this led to a conversation with Ellison Development, a local developer, about what could be done with the property the Y owned, and what it could really look like. That launched the $800 million development the YMCA is a cornerstone of.
Community and Partnership Details
Tampa Heights is less than a mile from the heart of downtown and used to be a very vibrant community. But Mitchell said in the 1970’s, an interchange built between Tampa Heights and downtown created a barrier causing the part of the city to become neglected.
“It’s still charming, but it hasn’t had many resources,” said Mitchell. “Recently, it’s begun to change. Lots of new developments are coming along with apartments at prime rates. The hope is this YMCA can be a connection point and hub that brings every individual in the community together at a common place where everyone can have pride in the local neighborhood.”
Essential in this process for the YCMA is a partnership with a local entity like Ellison Development. Mitchell said while his fellow leaders at the YMCA are intelligent, they aren’t developers by trade.
“We know how to be creative with resources, but when it comes to a development of this magnitude, it’s outside of our zone of knowledge,” said Mitchell. “So, we brought in a local developer that’s rooted here in Tampa. They have a great love for this community, particularly the Tampa Heights area. They’ve helped the entire way with exemptions, zoning, extra density, etc. We would never have been able to get this far along in the process without engaging a trusted developer.”
Mitchell also complimented the Y’s stakeholders, our board and the City of Tampa. “None of this happens if the governance board doesn’t trust and believe in our vision,” he said. “The other big partner, of course, was the City of Tampa. Everyone from the mayor to the city council to city staff — without their support and insight, this wouldn’t be possible.”
A Modern Focus
One of the main goals for the project is to make the YMCA more contemporary for members. Mitchell said the current YMCA isn’t quite the type of facility new community arrivals may expect for their wellness journey in 2024.
“This new YMCA will be very modern,” said Mitchell. “We’ll be able to host a much more robust program menu. We’ll triple the wellness floor space. With older facilities, you almost must be a magician sometimes to make things work. This will have all the space we need to serve our seniors, teens, youth, families and the professional clientele who will be living and working in this community as it continues to grow.”
One specific point of emphasis for the Y has been ensuring the new building will feel familiar to community partners but also showcases the vibrancy of the growing city.
It’s the Y’s hope construction will begin in early fall of 2025 and the new location will open by the end of 2026. During that time, the current YMCA will not be demolished until this new facility opens, so the community will never be void of its services during the process.
Top Takeaways for Leaders
For other rec center leadership teams considering a similar project as the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA is doing, Mitchell said to first acknowledge every development opportunity as different.
“Each projects presents its own unique possibilities, so don’t be restricted or constrained by what you’ve done in the past,” explained Mitchell. “Everything doesn’t have to fit a certain mold. Be bold. Be brave. Make sure you strive to do something special and new that will leave a long-lasting impression on the community around you.”
To help with that lofty goal, Mitchell said to employ a local developer who truly has an innate love for the community. When you have a partner whose vision is running parallel to yours, you won’t miss a beat.
Finally, Mitchell said to ensure you have the support and engagement of the community before committing to an undertaking of this magnitude. If the community isn’t involved, your dream vision won’t get off the ground.
“Be genuine in your efforts to gain the community’s insights and perspectives,” said Mitchell. “Honestly, I don’t know what’s worse — not talking to the community or talking to them and dismissing everything they told you. This is a much better YMCA because we considered a lot of their suggestions and conceded on things. That local feedback really prepared us to go in front of the city council and the architecture review commission and say with honest confidence we incorporated the community’s feedback into our project. We’re better off for it.”
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