Passers-by on Whelchel Road soon will be a little distracted. That’s because work will begin sometime next month on the new 27,794-square-foot Cherokee County YMCA.

The facility will be located on an 11-acre site off Whelchel Road.

“We expect to have work take place on the site in October,” Cherokee County YMCA Chief Operating Officer Mike Goforth said.

If things go as planned, the new YMCA will open in early summer.

YMCA officials have finalized contracts with general contractor Yeargin, Potter and Shackelford and Genco Pools, which will oversee the construction of a 9,640- square-foot outdoor pool.

Goforth said the contractor has been working with city building officials to address some minor points of concern in the building plans.

He said the pre-engineered steel has been ordered and the contractor is coordinating its on-site arrival.

The new YMCA will feature a large lobby with views into wellness rooms, small and large multi-purpose rooms available for aerobics, community meetings and childcare; activity rooms for programs with teens and older adults and a full-size gymnasium with rolldown curtains to divide the space.

The new Y will also feature a whirlpool, sauna and steam rooms, locker rooms and a 5,000-squarefoot wellness center.