An artist's rendering of the Hamburg YMCA.
Lexington, KY – The YMCA of Central Kentucky will expand its North Lexington location on Loudon Ave. and build a new location in Hamburg, the 161 year old organization announcement this morning.
The 3,500 square foot expansion of the North Lexington YMCA will include a fitness and wellness space, as well as added space for healthy living programs such as Livestrong and diabetes prevention. The expansion at the will be made possible by a $1.5 million matching gift from Lexmark. The Y aims to raise the additional $1.5 million matching funds by the end of the year and begin construction once that’s completed.
Concurrently, the Y will resume its plans to build a new Y facility in the Hamburg area. Several years ago, the Y announced plans to build a facility in Hamburg, but suspended efforts when the economic factors impacted fundraising locally.
“In 2009, we hit the pause button on the Hamburg project but it is time to resume those efforts,” David Martorano, president and CEO of the YMCA of Central Kentucky said. “There is a tremendous need in that area for healthy living programming as well as youth development programs. The Y is uniquely positioned to offer all of those services under one roof. We are able to grow our presence, while concurrently positively impacting lives. And, we won’t have to turn anyone away due to the inability to pay. That’s important because everyone deserves the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive.”
Located on West Loudon Avenue, the North Lexington Family Y opened in 2000. Currently, it serves a membership base of 5,550 active members.
“We are proud to be able to support the YMCA of Central Kentucky in its efforts to strengthen our community, particularly the north side of Lexington, which is home to Lexmark’s global headquarters,” said Jeri Isbell, vice president of human resources for Lexmark. “The YMCA brings innumerable health and wellness benefits to our employees and their families, as well as thousands of others in the area. It is important to us that Lexmark be a major contributor toward improving quality of life for everyone in the communities where our employees live and work.”
The North Lexington Family Y also is home to the YMCA Black Achievers program. Since its inception nearly 30 years ago, the YMCA Black Achievers program has graduated more than 8,000 high school seniors and awarded more than $10 million in college scholarships.
The YMCA of Central Kentucky operates three full facilities in Lexington, as well as program offices in Jessamine and Scott counties.