FAQs

Read below for answers to some of the questions we get asked about a new YMCA in Halifax.

WHY DOES HALIFAX NEED THE YMCA?

For 157 years Your YMCA has been serving the residents of Halifax and surrounding communities. From war time service, to post war programs for men and today through employment services, immigrant programs, health and wellness facilities and programs, child care, camping and youth outreach, the YMCA has remained an integral service provider in Halifax. The YMCA provides all residents of the Halifax Regional Municipality with the tools they need to stay healthy in spirit, mind and body. Our mission is to help everyone in our community, regardless of physical ability or financial status, in meeting their full potential.

WHY DOES THE YMCA NEED A NEW BUILDING?

A new YMCA Centre of Community will enable the YMCA to continue to serve the people of the Halifax Regional Municipality. After nearly 60 years of use our current South Park Street building has aged to a point where it is no longer able to meet the needs of our growing community. A renewed YMCA Centre of Community will also ensure a sustainable long-term operating model for the YMCA in HRM and will better enable the organization to continue and expand its charitable work throughout the community.

This time for renewal of the YMCA in HRM was seen as an opportunity for the Municipality to address the gap in community recreation infrastructure in Peninsular Halifax.  A new YMCA at 70,000 square feet is designed to be a C2 classification recreation centre, sized to serve a large region of the Municipality.  This investment in community recreation infrastructure will enable the HRM to direct capital recreation infrastructure funds into other communities.

WHERE WILL THE NEW YMCA BE LOCATED?

The new YMCA will be located where the CBC Radio building currently resides (Sackville St/South Park St/Bell Road). This location is easily accessible on foot, by car and public transit.

WHAT WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE NEW YMCA?

A new YMCA Centre of Community will be a full health, fitness and recreation facility with child care second to none designed to serve all of peninsular Halifax. This hub will support growth of other YMCA programs and services in the region.

IS THERE PARKING?

The current plan calls for below grade parking spaces.

WILL THE OPERATIONS OF THE YMCA BE AFFECTED DURING CONSTRUCTION?

As we move further along our development process, the answer to this question will become clearer. There are many variables through the process to know with certainty in these early days how the construction will evolve. However, our goal will be to minimize, if not eliminate, any shutdown for the YMCA’s current operations at the South Park Street location.

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?

It is estimated that a new YMCA building will cost approximately $21- $23 million.

HOW TALL WILL THE DEVELOPMENT BE AND HOW CAN THE YMCA AFFORD THIS?

The final height of the development has not yet been determined.

The cost to build a new YMCA Centre of Community is estimated to be approximately $21- $23 million. The YMCA, as a charitable, not for profit organization, does not have the resources to fund a project of this magnitude alone. The YMCA is very fortunate however, to own its South Park Street building and associated lands. This real estate will serve as the legacy to help us build a new YMCA for future generations. Given to this community by YMCA leaders 60 years ago, this real estate is able to help the YMCA create a new legacy for another half century.

Using the estimated market value of the YMCA’s property on South Park Street, The YMCA is working in partnership with CBC/Radio-Canada and its property located immediately adjacent to the South Park YMCA, on a joint development application for the shared lands. The purpose of this joint development application is to meet the intentions of HRM by Design and generate enough capital financial resources to create an attainable fundraising goal for The YMCA to build a $22.0M building. The gap will be filled through a capital fundraising campaign consisting of donations from individuals, businesses and government.

To ensure the fundraising gap is realistic and attainable, adequate financial resources must be generated through this development model. The development will need to incorporate density that results in developed height over the current CBC/Radio-Canada building, in excess of the maximum height allowable under the current Downtown Halifax Secondary Municipal Planning Strategy (DHSMPS) for this corner. Without this approved density, the fundraising goal may prove unattainable.

To this end, The YMCA and CBC has requested a site specific plan amendment to be reviewed by staff and elected city officials and ultimately approved by HRM Council. Upon approval, The YMCA would issue a Request for Proposal for a private development partner who in turn would build a mixed used development to include a new YMCA for the community.

*NEW*  I THOUGHT THE YMCA WAS A GOVERNMENT FUNDED ORGANIZATION?

As a charitable not-for-profit organization, the YMCA relies on charitable individual and corporate sector donations along with fee for service programs in order to deliver its mandate of providing programs that allow access for all, to the community. The YMCA does provide programs in the community made possible through government funding (i.e. employment training) however, the funding received from the particular level of government goes to the operational costs of running the program.

*NEW*  WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE THE PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETING IN APRIL?

HRM Planning Staff are now undertaking additional research and consultation, following which a staff report will be written to Council that hopefully will recommend that a plan amendment be made that will make this exciting project possible.  If Regional Council wishes to consider adopting any amendments, a Public Hearing will need to be held.  This Public Hearing could take place sometime in the fall of this year.

HOW CAN I HELP?

We hope the whole community will support this community project and talk about it with friends and family, neighbours and elected officials. You can visit the Get Involved section of our website to see how you can help make the vision of a new YMCA a reality.

HOW DOES THIS PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT AFFECT VIEWS FROM CITADEL HILL?

There are two types of view legislation that aim to protect views out from Citadel Hill.  Designated areas that radiate from Citadel Hill within which new development is restricted in height are called view planes.  No new building may protrude through a legislated view plane.  There are no legislated view planes over the YMCA-CBC/Radio-Canada development lands.  In fact, the nearest view plane has its western edge at Dresden Row - one full block east of the site currently under consideration.

The current planning by-laws dictate that no development shall be visible from above the topmost line of the earthworks of the Citadel Ramparts from an eye level of 5’5” above ground level within the Citadel’s Parade Square.  The proposed YMCA-CBC/Radio-Canada development has been designed so as not to interfere in any way with the rampart views and because the proposed development is of lower height, it nests nicely within the current buildings to its south and east.

WILL THIS BUILDING CAST A SHADOW OVER THE PUBLIC GARDENS?

No. Our computer model shows that we will not be casting a shadow over the Public Garden. This development will largely be in the shadow of existing buildings.