New YMCA project gets big boost

A total of $1.6 million has been pledged or donated to date. Officials expect to hold a groundbreaking ceremony for the 27,794-squarefoot facility later this year.

The proposed new Cherokee County YMCA received a financial shot in the arm Thursday when the Fullerton Foundation pledged $375,000 to the project.

The group's board approved the donation, announcing it would be paid equally over three years beginning this November.

Local YMCA Executive Director Mike Goforth said the project now has a total in pledges and donations of approximately $1.6 million.

The YMCA has formed a building committee and officials hope to select a contractor in the near future.

Construction of the 27,794- square-foot facility on an 11-acre site off Whelchel Road will take 12 to 14 months and replace the existing facility located on the campus of Limestone College.

The new YMCA will feature a 9,640-square-foot outdoor pool and include a large lobby with views into wellness rooms, small and large multi-purpose rooms available for aerobics, community meetings and childcare; activity rooms and a full-size gymnasium with roll-down curtains to divide the space.

The new facility will also feature a whirlpool, sauna and steam rooms, locker rooms and a 5,000- square-foot wellness center that will include cardio and free weight equipment.