YMCA Looking at Lower Cape Location For Expansion

BREWSTER – A YMCA could be coming to the Lower Cape.

Officials from YMCA Cape Cod spoke before the Brewster Select Board last week about their vision for a possible facility in the area.

“The question that we’ve been trying to decide on in the two plus years that we’ve been involved in this is should we be building a new facility on the Lower Cape,” said Brad Crowell, chairman of the YMCA’s Lower Cape Committee.

“We’ve had a lot of preliminary discussions about what this should look like, what it should include, and where it should be.”   

YMCA Cape Cod runs programs across Barnstable County, but has been exploring the idea of adding a facility to serve Eastham, Brewster, Harwich, Chatham, and Orleans, as well as Outer Cape towns.

They have been also looking to serve citizens in Dennis, which is located on the Mid-Cape and is considered too far away from the Y’s West Barnstable location for some potential members.

The Y’s current goal is to raise $50,000 to conduct a market feasibility study and a capital campaign feasibility study to determine what the community wants and the best possible locations.  

While the target demographic is young people and young to middle-aged adults, the facility would cater to everyone.

Locations at Exits 9, 10, and 11 are being considered for the potential club, with Exit 10 being the ideal spot.

Community members are hoping that a Lower Cape facility will include a pool and affordable child care among many other things the Y offers.

Select Board members in Brewster responded positively to the idea of a YMCA on the Lower Cape and Stacie Peugh, president and CEO of YMCA Cape Cod, has been meeting with town officials to keep good open lines of communication.

“From a safety perspective, 40 percent of people who drown never expected to be in the water and I think that we have an obligation to our children and to adults to provide them with the safety and swimming training that I think we should be providing,” said Select Board Vice Chair Mary Chaffee.

“Thank you for what you do, I look forward to supporting this project as it moves forward.”

For more information on the potential YMCA Lower Cape facility, visit ymcacapecod.org.

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