Inside the Newly Renovated Cameron Family YMCA

Due to the demand from existing members and community residents for a family-friendly facility with more space and amenities, the Cameron Family YMCA in Santee, California recently underwent a remodel and expansion.

The renovation brought many upgrades to the Cameron Y, including fitness equipment, more studio space, a larger child center, and a welcoming lounge and waiting area.

“We added two new studios — one dedicated to cycling, and we added a Studio SWEAT to two of our studios, which are virtual classes that members can access whenever a studio is not hosting a class,” said Debby Lenz, the executive director of the Cameron Y. “We added a beautiful donor wall to recognize the Cameron family and our other generous community donors, as well as a member lounge and seating area.”

The renovation enabled the Y to double the size of its child watch center, add all-new flooring, furniture and toys, and put in a dedicated viewing area of the 12,000-square-foot gymnastics center.

During this process, the greatest challenge the Cameron Y faced was staying open during the construction. “The Y is a community hub, and we determined that remaining open so people could still exercise, swim and have a safe place for their children while they exercised was vital,” explained Lenz. “So working with our design company, CREW, we were able to section off construction areas so as not to disturb the public and also move some program areas to other locations in the facility, enabling us to remain open for our loyal members during the eight months of construction.”

In response to current trends in the industry, upgrades to fitness equipment were key, according to Lenz. “We were able to deliver on that by replacing all existing equipment with brand new, state-of-the-art equipment, flooring, lighting and ventilation, as well as upgraded sound in all studios,” she said.

While upgrades to equipment and the facility itself were the outcome of the renovation, the Y’s mission is always to serve more people, in an equal way. Thorough and frequent communication using all available outlets — email, text, social media and signage — is how the Cameron Family Y fulfilled that mission for its community. “We have registered over 1,000 new or returned members since our reopening in June of this year,” said Lenz.