Renovations at Winston Lake YMCA expected to be complete by early 2025
Submitted photo
Renovations at Winston Lake YMCA are well underway. Last year officials from Winston Lake and the YMCA of Northwest North Carolina broke ground for renovations at the facility located on Waterworks Road. When construction is done the center will be rebranded as the Winston Lake REACH Center.
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.
Renovations will increase the amount of wellness and programming space inside the facility. The REACH Center will house a 16,000 sq. ft. full health clinic that will provide primary care and lab and x-ray series. Updates will also include space for job training and GED courses, space for after-school care, and much more. Several local organizations including Novant Health, Goodwill and Financial Pathways will provide programing at the REACH Center.
When discussing the project, Kenneth Pettigrew, executive director of Winston Lake YMCA, said the YMCA of Northwest N.C. is making a big investment to upgrade the building that is over 40 years old. Pettigrew said renovations to the building will ensure that they are providing equitable services. He said the partnerships they’ve made with local organizations will be able to help members and the entire East Winston Community in all aspects of life. “There are things that were here when this building was built in the mid-80s and they’re still here. As a result, it becomes difficult to provide equitable, accessible service to the community it’s designed to serve,” Pettigrew continued.
“Through some strategic partnerships, be it with Novant, Goodwill or Financial Pathways, we have an opportunity to touch all the areas of your life. If you want to learn how to budget better, we want to ensure that we can help you do that. If you need to learn new skills in order to enter the work force, we want to ensure this is a place you can come to do that. You don’t have to just come here to sweat, you can come here to learn too.”
The total time to complete all renovations is estimated to be eight to ten months. Renovations to replace the roof and HVAC system are already complete. To complete other renovations, the building is temporarily closed.
For more information on the renovations at Winston Lake YMCA, visit https://ymcanwnc.org/reachFAQs.
