The YMCA broke ground on a new branch in Pittsford Monday.
It will be one of the largest in the country by the time it’s completed in the fall of 2019. The new facility will replace an older building from the 1970's.
George Romell is the President and CEO of the YMCA Greater Rochester and says there is a strong sense of civic pride that comes with having a Y in your neighborhood.
"People says ‘that’s my Y.’ And so this is going to be their Y, and we're moving a little further west and we should be able to engage other communities around us that we'll help grow."
The 140,000 square foot facility will be on the corner of Clover Street and Jefferson Road.
The addition of a YMCA to a community is an economic driver, Romell says, adding construction jobs and employment once that has finished.
He says the Y is not a club, it’s an institution, with a mission to foster and encourage wellness and healthy living. He says even though this facility is in Pittsford it will be open to anyone.
"Our Y that gives out the most financial assistance is in fact our Y in Penfield. So people know the Y is accessible, the Y is there for the community. If you have a financial need we will help you, whether it’s the smallest Y we have, or the biggest Y we have."
The new Y will be similar to that one built in Penfield 12 years ago.
Local officials shared stories of their time at the Y, mostly learning to swim while growing up. But Romell says this Y will focus on much more than exercise and swim lessons.
"Socialization, medicine, we're having a center called the 'exercise your mind' center. That is going to be for kids who maybe can’t dunk a basketball."
This YMCA will also feature medical services from the University of Rochester.