In December 2023, the YMCA of the Palm Beaches held a ceremonial groundbreaking on the first phase of a new community center that will dramatically expand its impact in the area by allowing the organization to serve four times the number of community members than it did in its previous facility.
The project aligns the YMCA of the Palm Beaches with Palm Beach County and its Parks & Recreation Department in a unique and historic public-private partnership.
In support of the community center project, a gift of $500,000 was recently awarded to the YMCA of the Palm Beaches through the U.S. Federal Government’s Community Grants program. The funds were secured with the help of U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel (D-District 22), who presented the grant to the YMCA at a recent press conference.
“We are incredibly grateful to Congresswoman Frankel for helping to secure this generous grant,” said Tim Coffield, president and CEO of the YMCA of the Palm Beaches. “This is an investment not only in the future of the Y, but in the futures of those who we serve in the community, particularly our children.”
The funds will be used for the development of the Y’s new 55,000-square-foot community center at Lake Lytal Park in West Palm Beach, scheduled for completion in late 2025. A key hallmark feature of the new center will be its Youth Engagement and Resource Center, designed to reach and mentor young people ages 12 to 22 with workforce skills, job training, mentorship and more.
Additional amenities for youth will include a music recording studio, STEM lab and robotics center, a teaching kitchen, a visual arts studio, and much more.
Additional components of the overall project include an Olympic-style skate park and an expansive new aquatics facility, which is being developed by the Palm Beach County Parks & Recreation Department.
The YMCA of the Palm Beaches has served the Palm Beach County community for more than 100 years, providing essential programs, activities and services for thousands of children, seniors and families annually. For more information, call (561) 968-9622 or visit www.ymcapalmbeaches.org.
