More housing, shopping, a hotel, and a brand-new YMCA are on the way. All of this is part of the Tampa Heights concept, as the YMCA collaborates with Ellison Development on this 600 million-dollar project.
The project is still being reviewed, but it will add 1.3 million square feet of additional infrastructure to Tampa Heights.
“It’s about the YMCA evolving, and it’s also about reinvigorating an underused piece of land we have here in Tampa Heights,” said Matt Mitchell, president and CEO of the Tampa Metropolitan YMCA.
Mitchell stated that the YMCA has been present in Tampa for almost 130 years. He stated that the nonprofit is very involved in community needs and aims to adapt with the city.
The new YMCA will be 110,000 square feet in size and will have a rooftop pool, pickleball courts, and expanded daycare options. Mitchell stated that this will better meet the requirements of the community.
The current standing YMCA will be knocked down and replaced with more housing.
The YMCA owns all of this land, so they will enter into a ground lease with Ellison Development. Mitchell said the money from that lease will go back into funding the YMCA’s mission.
“Nobody is ever turned away from YMCA programs or resources or membership or access because they can’t afford our programs,” he said.
The project plans are still waiting for approval. They go in front of the city in December.
Mitchell said if it is approved, they hope to start construction in Fall of 2024, and the entire project will take around five years to complete.