Middletown YMCA Construction Begins

Wilmington DE

26 March, 2022

6:55 AM

Description

Press release from Delaware State Chamber of Commerce: March 21, 2022 The YMCA of Delaware is excited to announce that construction has begun on the Middletown YMCA in the vicinity of Silver Lake. A groundbreaking event will be held on Wednesday, April 27th at the Silver Lake YMCA Pool site, and home of the new YMCA, to commemorate the start of construction for the Y's state-of-the-art community center serving the MOT region. Upon completion, the brand-new YMCA will boast a full-sized gymnasium, indoor pool, universal fitness options for individuals with diverse abilities, multiple fitness studios, a STEM room for youth, children's adventure zone, a community education room, universal locker room, and a spacious lobby. Additionally, the Middletown YMCA will feature an outdoor wellness space, made possible by the State of Delaware, providing a full-court public basketball court, two flexible public cross courts used for pickleball, a splash park adjacent to the Silver Lake Pool, an outdoor playground, functional mobile wellness space for outdoor fitness classes, and cross beneficial parking serving the New Castle County Library Middletown Branch, Silver Lake Elementary School, Silver Lake Pool, recreation and sports fields, and the YMCA. "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. This project, which would not be possible without the significant support from the town of Middletown and the State of Delaware, will have the power to fuel economic development, improve community health outcomes, empower youth, and bring people from all walks of life together." With Middletown being one of the fastest-growing communities in Delaware, the Y anticipates serving 15,000 individuals annually through membership, community-based programs, before and after school enrichment, youth sports and summer camp. The YMCA's academic enrichment and college readiness programs will prepare teens to become competent and successful adults, and pre-teen and teen mentorship programs will support substance abuse prevention. In addition, the Y will bring 300 new, local jobs to the Middletown area, providing a workforce development pathway for many first-time job seekers. "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." The YMCA will never turn anyone away due to financial need. To make YMCA memberships and programs accessible to all, they provided nearly $2.5 million in financial assistance to low-income families and individuals in 2021. It is anticipated that the new Middletown Y will provide over $500,000 annually in financial assistance to the local community. This $26 million dollar expansion is being funded by community support. The YMCA has launched a fundraising campaign to raise the last $2 million dollars needed to complete the project. Community collaborations and successful fundraising are critical to achieving the vision of bringing a new YMCA to Middletown. This press release was produced by Delaware State Chamber of Commerce. The views expressed here are the author's own.