By Eli Chen
WUNC
The YMCA of the Triangle plans to acquire land next to the American Tobacco Campus to build a new downtown Durham facility.
On a 0.79-acre property at the corner of Blackwell and W. Pettigrew Streets, the YMCA plans to build a 65,000-square-foot facility that will feature rooftop terraces with outdoor fitness areas, an indoor pool, a basketball court, an indoor track, group fitness studios, and spaces for youth and family programming. It will also have 80 on-site parking spaces and there are also plans to partner with a healthcare provider to operate a primary care clinic at the location.
The estimated cost of building the new Downtown Durham YMCA is $46 million. In December 2024, the YMCA signed a letter of intent with CBC Real Estate, the real estate division of Capitol Broadcasting Company, which will be developing the site. According to the project site for the facility, construction is expected to begin in 2027 and doors could open in early 2029.
"The current, aging Downtown Durham Y facility doesn't allow for increased services in downtown Durham." said Bruce Ham, president and chief executive officer of the YMCA of the Triangle in a press release. "This new, convenient location will allow us to partner with even more children, teens, adults and seniors throughout Durham County."
The YMCA facility at American Tobacco Campus opened in 2005 during the campus' first round of renovations. Over the last two decades, it's worked with American Tobacco to provide community programs and built The Cage, an outdoor recreation facility, in 2012.
The smaller facility at American Tobacco Campus and the Downtown Durham YMCA on West Morgan Street will remain open during the construction of the new facility. The YMCA plans to sell the Morgan Street location when the new facility opens, Axios reported.
