A few weeks after opening a new branch in Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY, the YMCA of Greater New York has announced plans to build a new facility in the Bronx, NY, as part of a public-private community development project.
The 48,000-square-foot Y will be part of a development known as La Central, which was selected by the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development. The project will be built on the largest piece of city-owned land in the borough as part of former Mayor Michael Bloomberg's plan to create affordable housing and revitalize the Bronx, according to a statement from the department.
The new branch will feature an aquatics center, fitness studios and a wellness center. Programs will have a strong focus on nutrition to help address the growing epidemics of Type 2 diabetes and obesity in New York City and the South Bronx, according to a statement from the Y.
The Y will be housed in one of five new buildings, which collectively will include 985 low- and moderate-income housing units as well as retail and community areas. Construction is set to begin in 2015.
"We are very happy to join the City of New York and our developer partners to bring much-needed community and recreation space and resources to the South Bronx, one of the city's most vibrant and diverse neighborhoods," Y President and CEO Jack Lund said in a statement. "The Y opened its first branch in the Bronx 36 years ago, and we are pleased to have been chosen to create a new sister branch."
The Y also is in negotiations with the city to open a branch in the Williamsbridge or Edenwald neighborhoods of the Bronx, and a new facility is expected to open next month in Rockaway, Queens, NY.