WS Chronicle

Recently the Winston Lake Family YMCA took a giant leap to becoming the Winston Lake REACH Center. On Monday, June 10, representatives from Winston Lake and YMCA of Northwest N.C. broke ground on renovations to the facility located on Waterworks Road. 

The YMCA branch started on Depot Street in 1924 to serve African Americans during segregation. Today, it still continues to serve the Black community as East Winston’s YMCA. The regional YMCA has been subsidizing the Winston Lake Y since the branch moved to its current location at 901 Waterworks Road in 1985.

According to their website, the renovations will increase the amount of wellness and programming space inside the facility. The REACH Center will house a full health clinic, space for job training and GED courses, space for after-school care, and much more.

The wellness center will remain in its current location and will get a new ceiling and fresh paint. The group exercise room will remain in the same place and the gym will also receive fresh paint and refinished flooring. Programming space will remain in the multipurpose room adjacent to the playground and upstairs. Racquetball courts will become one room available for both group exercise and other programming.

Total time to complete all renovations is estimated to be eight to ten months. Renovations are expected to begin later this month when contractors begin working on the roof and HVAC system. While these repairs are being completed, the Y will remain open; however, when plumbing replacement begins, the building will need to close temporarily for six to eight months.

For more information on the renovations at Winston Lake, visit https://ymcanwnc.org/reachFAQs. Questions can also be submitted via email to memberservice@ymcanwnc.org.