The San Diego city council this week unanimously approved the construction of a new Copley-Price Family YMCA in the Mid-City district bordered by Kensington, Talmadge, and City Heights. The 53,400 square foot facility is set to include an enclosed swimming pool, gymnasium, soccer field, teen center, and several classrooms.
The abandoned Pearson Ford lot at Fairmount Avenue and El Cajon Boulevard will house the new center. A construction date has not yet been set, but work is expected to begin sometime in the spring of 2013, with completion expected in mid-2014.
“This project will bring much-needed recreation options to the communities of Mid-City and return this prominent block to productive use,” said councilmember Todd Gloria, whose District 3 includes the selected site. “When it comes down to it, this will be a ‘world class’ facility that should prove to serve the area for decades to come.”
The YMCA anticipates that the facility will generate about 3,500 new memberships while serving around 18,000 total community members. It will replace the existing Copley Family YMCA, a much smaller facility built in 1956 at Landis and 40th Street.
The Helen K. and James S. Copley Foundation had committed $4.5 million of the expected $13 million construction cost as of last year. A recent report, however, suggests that the Foundation’s funds have dwindled in recent years, with only $5.4 million in assets at the end of 2011 and a handful of other obligations.
The San Diego city council this week unanimously approved the construction of a new Copley-Price Family YMCA in the Mid-City district bordered by Kensington, Talmadge, and City Heights. The 53,400 square foot facility is set to include an enclosed swimming pool, gymnasium, soccer field, teen center, and several classrooms.
The abandoned Pearson Ford lot at Fairmount Avenue and El Cajon Boulevard will house the new center. A construction date has not yet been set, but work is expected to begin sometime in the spring of 2013, with completion expected in mid-2014.
“This project will bring much-needed recreation options to the communities of Mid-City and return this prominent block to productive use,” said councilmember Todd Gloria, whose District 3 includes the selected site. “When it comes down to it, this will be a ‘world class’ facility that should prove to serve the area for decades to come.”
The YMCA anticipates that the facility will generate about 3,500 new memberships while serving around 18,000 total community members. It will replace the existing Copley Family YMCA, a much smaller facility built in 1956 at Landis and 40th Street.
The Helen K. and James S. Copley Foundation had committed $4.5 million of the expected $13 million construction cost as of last year. A recent report, however, suggests that the Foundation’s funds have dwindled in recent years, with only $5.4 million in assets at the end of 2011 and a handful of other obligations.