The Bangor Region YMCA has officially broken ground on its $57.8 million facility, which is slated to open in August 2027.
Of the overall cost, $43.5 million has been raised, both in a quiet phase and in a public campaign, which kicked off in February.
The city of Bangor allocated $2 million to the project and Penobscot County used $3 million from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to support the effort.
The Y also qualified for $10 million in New Market Tax Credits by meeting certain requirements, including its location in an underprivileged area of the community.
Once completed, it will be named the Cathy Gero Bangor Region YMCA. Gero, a longtime member and supporter of the Bangor Region Y, passed away in 2022 after a four-year battle with cancer.
The 82,000-square-foot facility is situated on seven acres near Davis Court and Talbot Park. It will be nearly double the size of the current 45,000-square-foot facility, which is on Second Street.
A/Z Corp., a Cianbro company, is the contractor overseeing construction of the new facility.
The design was provided by SMRT Architects and Engineers.
New offerings
The three-story Y will feature a gymnasium and run-walk track. The aquatic center will have two pools, an eight-lane competition lap pool and a six-lane pool.
Plans are in the works to add recreational and sports fields, and nature-based outdoor education play areas. The Y’s current footprint doesn’t allow for outdoor athletic fields, which is an offering that has long been requested and considered necessary to expand outdoor programs.
The new facility will double the size of the early childhood education and before-and-after-school programs and provide infant care starting at 6 months for the first time. It will also add a science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) maker space and a “kids adventure zone.” There will also be a teen center.
“The YMCA has served this region for nearly 160 years,” said Diane Dickerson, CEO of the Bangor Region YMCA. “This new facility ensures that our region will continue to be well served for decades and into the future. It will have the ability to serve every age range, from babies and children up through teens and adults, with more programs and services than ever before. It will give people the opportunity to connect, live, grow, educate, recreate, and learn in a modern, state-of-the-art building in the heart of downtown Bangor.”
