YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg to sell Harbordale branch
By Breanne Williams
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Jul 24, 2023

The YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg plans to sell its Harbordale location.

The Y's board of directors said the organization will reinvest the proceeds in the expansion of the Speer YMCA Preschool Academy at 2100 26th Ave. S.

The Harbordale location at 2421 Fourth St. S. has been closed since March 2020 due to Covid-19, according to the YMCA. Services that had been offered at the Harbordale location were redirected to other locations. The facility is 5,200 square feet and was built in 2002.

David Jezek, president and CEO of YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg, said the lack of "quality, accredited infant and toddler care is a deep concern for the St. Petersburg community."

“The proceeds from selling the Harbordale YMCA will be reinvested in the Speer YMCA Preschool Academy to meet the growing demand for childcare here in south St. Pete and to advance our children's social, emotional, cognitive and physical development," Jezek said in a release.

The organization has worked with Wannemacher Jensen Architects for more than a year to plan the Speer YMCA Preschool Academy location. The expansion will add 5,000 square feet of space and will create infant and toddler classrooms for “up to 48 additional children between six weeks old and two years old,” according to a release.

The Speer YMCA Preschool Academy opened in 2015 and totals 15,000 square feet. The building features a playground, classroom space, a teaching kitchen, a community center and grounds for sports and recreation.

“A child’s earliest years are foundational for their future development,” Jezek said in a release. “What and how they learn in the first few years of their lives can have long-lasting effects on their educational success and future health.”