Clearwater YMCA takes first steps toward a new building
By Breanne Williams
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Mar 25, 2022

The Clearwater YMCA is considering building a “state-of-the-art facility” near the property it recently sold to a teaching center.

The YMCA of the Suncoast submitted a rezoning and land use amendment request to the city on March 23 for an approximately 1.87-acre tract directly beside the parking lot of the former YMCA facility at 1005 S. Highland Ave.

The requests, if approved, would make way for the YMCA to build a new facility. In December, the YMCA Clearwater facility was sold to Learning Independence for Tomorrow (LiFT) to be repurposed into a school. YMCA President of the Suncoast Scott Goyer sent a letter to YMCA members following the sale, saying the organization was planning to temporarily move its services to other nearby locations and had the intention of building “a brand new, state-of-the-art facility” next door to the current site.

Documents filed with the city show a request to rezone the property from office to institutional and to have a future land use amendment on the site from residential office general land use to institutional.

“We have begun a market research survey to help us determine the best way to continue to serve the Clearwater community, which could include a future building,” Cathy Mayo, communication director for the YMCA, told the Tampa Bay Business Journal. “The land use request would give us the flexibility to provide services and programs to the community, including a potential facility.”

Mayo said they hope to have the survey results by early to mid-May and then will work with the volunteer and staff leadership teams to “develop the best course of action, allowing us to have the greatest impact on the community.”

The Clearwater facility opened in 1966 and served its members for more than 50 years. After closing, YMCA members were instructed to use the closest two full-service branches — one in Largo, 6 miles from the Clearwater site and one in Palm Harbor, 10 miles from the site — and were told group classes would be offered throughout the community.

The YMCA has an agreement with LiFT that allows the organization to offer group exercise classes in a portion of the building while they begin renovations. Those classes will be offered at the school until at least June, Mayo said.