On Wednesday, March 12, after two years of construction, community members gathered to celebrate the completion of the new YMCA facility in Chatham Park.
“The impact that we have here at the Y will go far beyond 120 Parkland Drive,” said Forest Perry, the vice president of operations for YMCA of the Triangle. “It will go beyond Novi, it will go beyond Chatham Park. The impact of the Y will radiate locally, regionally, and beyond.”
Perry said the new facility is a much needed upgrade from the old location at Pittsboro’s Main Street Station.
“I think the reality is, you know, we were thankful and blessed to have the space that we had previously. But certainly when you’re limited with square footage, you can only generate so many different styles of programming,” he said. “And so now moving into a full facility YMCA, 36,000 square feet on approximately 25 acres, that really gives us the opportunity to provide every style of program that the Y offers.”
The cut ribbon and scissors from the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new YMCA facility.
Construction began in October 2023 and only wrapped up within the past week. The new facility features multiple stories, floor-to-ceiling windows, and sleek modern architecture. Perry said that a facility of this size also required expanding the Y’s staff.
“We already had about two-thirds of our full-time staff in place, but we had to bring in additional full-time staff, and then nearly a hundred additional part-time staff to help us expand our programming and our offerings.”
One of the very first team members hired was Caitlin Glessner, who will serve as the Chatham Park YMCA executive director. After Wednesday’s ribbon cutting, she showed off some of what the new facility has to offer.
The wellness floor at the new YMCA facility.
“So, on our wellness floor, we have several pieces of equipment for our members to utilize,” she said. “We have several strength training machines as well as free weights such as dumbbells and squat racks. As we move on to the other side of the floor, we have our cardio side. We have several different types of ellipticals, bikes, treadmills, as well as stair masters.”
Other amenities, like the facility’s outdoor pools, will open in May. Glessner added that there are still positions to fill before the Y is fully operational.
“We’ve just been growing and recruiting. So anyone looking for a job? We’re looking for lifeguards over the summer.”
The facility was constructed and paid for by Preston Development Company, who are the developers behind the broader Chatham Park project, and who are building homes right across the street from the new Y. Tim Smith, one of the company’s founders and owners, said the goal was to make the new building as striking as possible.
“We want it to be very modern looking and we want it to be colorful,” he said. “We want it to be something that’s when you turn that corner you say, ‘man, what is that?’”
He said he hopes the YMCA makes living in Chatham Park additionally desirable for families with children.
“I mean, if you could live in that house right there and your kids can walk over here and participate and swim all day, that makes that house a hundred thousand more valuable right there.”
The facility’s grand opening was officially Saturday, March 15, as the new YMCA hosted its annual Leprechaun Dash fundraiser, and it began its standard operating hours on Sunday. Hours run from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Fridays, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.
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