When it opened on Jan. 26, the new Douglas Dayton YMCA at Gaviidae, Minneapolis, officially became the fourth-largest YMCA in the world.
The $30 million facility is the latest addition to the YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities network, spanning 105,000 square feet and five floors at a former downtown retail center at 651 Nicollet Mall, according to the StarTribune.
The facility continues a growing trend of health clubs and wellness facilities moving into vacated retail spaces; the site was previously home to Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue stores. The renovation required creativity on the part of the YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities and HGA Architects, the Tribune reported.
"[The atrium] was one of the things that really attracted us," Greg Waibel, the CEO of the YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities, said of the unique space at a Jan. 25 open house, according to Finance & Commerce.
“[The Y] brings a very cohesive sense of purpose to that building,” Dan Collison, Minneapolis Downtown Council director of downtown partnerships, told the Tribune. “I see the YMCA as a holistic regional treasure.”
The refurbished site replaces the Y's old home at LaSalle Plaza at 30 Ninth St. It features a 25-yard lane pool (which opened Feb. 5), office space for 400 employees and two nationwide exclusives for the YMCA: a well-being center with massage, meditation and health coaching services, as well as an equity innovation center that offers leadership training and certification programming in equity, diversity and inclusion.
"We'll actually look at not just your physical well-being but also your purpose, environment, community, different things that really influence your well-being besides just your physical health," Cassie Rood, the facility's vice president of healthy living, told ABC 5.
A cycling studio, virtual reality planking machine, hydrotherapy massage beds and functional training spaces are among its other fitness amenities.
The YMCA purchased the Gaviidae space in early 2016 for $9.9 million and raised approximately $10 million in donations to pay for the site.
The Y did not increase prices at the new facility for existing members, ABC 5 reported.