The YMCA of Jackson and West Tennessee Board of Directors announced the scheduled closing of the Jackson YMCA fitness facility on Monday.
The fitness facility will close on Aug. 31, though the YMCA Childcare Center will continue to provide childcare services. The Board of Directors is restructuring the operations of the Jackson YMCA to make the best use of limited resources and allocate those resources to childcare and youth programs, according to a public letter.
"We have taken a hard look at what we do best and what needs we can fulfill in the community," Chief Volunteer Officer Katie Pace said in a statement. "There have been many changes in the City of Jackson over the last 10 years, and our current model no longer works effectively."
The Trenton and Haywood branches will remain open. Letters have been mailed to the YMCA Jackson membership to explain the closing of the fitness facility. The YMCA has been servicing the West Tennessee area since 1857.
"This was not an easy decision," Pace said. "The Board has been considering partnerships to keep the (Jackson) branch open, but unfortunately those collaborations could not provide a sustainable model. We feel this decision is the way to move forward and keep the YMCA alive in Jackson, Tennessee."
Jackson is about 130 miles west of Nashville, where the YMCA of Middle Tennessee recently closed its eighth Y since the formation of a task force.