YMCA in Virginia Receives One-Year Extension

A YMCA in Charlottesville, VA, that has faced opposition from neighboring for-profit health clubs has received a one-year extension to begin construction on its multimillion-dollar project.

The Charlottesville City Council voted 3-2 in favor of the extension late Monday night, Newsplex.com reported. This is the third time the council has approved an extension for the project.

In January 2013, the Virginia Supreme Court ruled in favor of the YMCA and against a for-profit club organization in Charlottesville that had filed a lawsuit in an attempt to thwart the building of a Y in a city park. The for-profit club organization, Charlottesville Area Fitness Club Operators Association, included ACAC Fitness and Wellness Centers and Gym Quest Inc., a Gold's Gym franchisee.

From Newsplex.com:

"I was really pleased with the decision. It gives us the opportunity to go forward after a significant investment in the design work that we've already done. I think the council recognized that the two and a half year delay from the litigation really set us back, and that we've been very close, and that we've made great progress and we continue to work diligently to get this project done," said chairman of the YMCA board Kurt Krueger.

The project will cost $12 million to $18 million, according to reports. In addition to the lawsuit, the project faced another setback when the YMCA lost a financial backer, TV station NBC 29 reported.