The Bangor Region YMCA has raised more than half of the money it likely needs to build a new campus and expand its programs and services to the area.
The nonprofit has raised more than $28 million to build a new facility on Main Street in Bangor, said Diane Dickerson, CEO of the organization. The proceeds include private donations and larger awards, such as $5 million in federal funding announced last month, and a combined $5 million in federal pandemic relief funds distributed by the city and Penobscot County.
Dickerson declined to give an estimated building timeline for the new facility, as more funding needs to be secured before the organization can break ground. Portland architectural firm SMRT is designing the new campus, and Pittsfield-headquartered Cianbro will oversee the construction, Dickerson said.
The final design and cost estimate for the new building aren’t yet available, but Dickerson said the new facility will likely cost $50 million to $55 million and be much larger than the organization’s existing space, allowing them to significantly expand their programing, especially child care.
Expanded child care capacity will assist a region that has seen a slew of child care centers closures, and available child care has become more expensive for families. The high cost and limited availability of care cripples a parent’s ability to return to work after having a child, which further harms the economic health of a region.
The YMCA’s existing building is licensed to serve 163 children ages from 12 months to 14 years old, according to the organization’s handbook. Those child care programs include preschool, early childhood education and before- and after-school care for school-aged children. There’s also a teen center available for adolescents up to 18 years old.
With a new, larger facility, Dickerson said those programs will be able to double their capacity and start accepting infants as young as six weeks old.
Aside from more space for expanded child care, Dickerson said the new site will likely include two pools with more swimming lanes, an indoor track and a full-sized gymnasium and sports fields.
The new location will sit on Main St. between the Dunkin’ Donuts and Bangor’s Central Fire Station on Main Street. The nonprofit bought five properties on Davis Court and First Street in 2022 for the new building.
The organization’s current campus is on Second Street, which was the location of the Bangor YWCA before that organization merged with the YMCA in 2008. The property houses the YMCA’s two pools, fitness center and studios, child care program and teen center.