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At a county meeting Tuesday, YMCA of the Chesapeake CEO Robbie Gill told county commissioners that the organization has always wanted to build a full facility in Caroline County. The biggest step to moving forward is choosing a location, he said.

鈥淭he goal is still to build a YMCA that can be a hub for community,鈥� Gill said. 鈥淲e just haven鈥檛 solved the first piece of the puzzle, which is the right site and getting everybody on board.鈥�

During Tuesday鈥檚 talks, stakeholders didn鈥檛 land on one location in particular, though commissioners indicated three potential considerations: land on Double Hills Road off of Route 404, the old Southern States property at Gay and Market streets in Denton, or near Denton Elementary School.

鈥淚t鈥檚 probably time for us to, as you said, pick a site and start telling a story,鈥� Commission Vice President Larry Porter told Gill.

Gill briefed the commissioners on the YMCA鈥檚 recent expansions on the Eastern Shore, including in St. Michaels and Centreville. A new facility serving Caroline County residents would need to be around 60,000 square feet or more, Gill said. The project could fall in the $20 million range.

The YMCA of the Chesapeake currently operates an 11,000-square-foot facility nestled in the Denton Plaza shopping center off of Route 404. Gill said it serves around 3,000 people. A full-fledged building could more than double that mark.

PAST ROADBLOCKS

Past efforts to expand the YMCA鈥檚 presence in Caroline County have been met with roadblocks. Porter, a commissioner since 2010, said it鈥檚 time to get the ball rolling.

鈥淭he thing that鈥檚 frustrating for me is it seems like we鈥檝e had this conversation several times, and we are still in the same spot we were,鈥� Porter said.

In 2018, the county and YMCA signed an agreement in which the county would donate 15 acres of land on Double Hills Road to the YMCA. It was conditioned on the project beginning by July 1, 2023.

Talks stalled, and the project didn鈥檛 begin before the deadline.

Gill said on Tuesday that there 鈥渨asn鈥檛 support from a (county) administrative standpoint鈥� at the time. Other concerns, such as the fact that the Town of Denton didn鈥檛 own the land, parking meters and, eventually, the pandemic, hindered efforts, he noted.

In 2022, the YMCA of the Chesapeake returned a $2.5 million donation from a New Jersey donor that was meant to go toward the Caroline County endeavor.

鈥淲e really didn鈥檛 see a pathway forward,鈥� Gill said.

But now, as talks resurface, there鈥檚 renewed interest in delivering a new YMCA.

Commission President Travis Breeding said it may be challenging to locate the YMCA next to a school, though he said near Denton Elementary on the south end of town could be a consideration.

When commissioners raised the idea of considering the current and soon-to-be moved Lockerman Middle School on the north end of town, Gill expressed some reservation.

鈥淲ith the school going away there, and if you demo鈥檇 that and built (a YMCA) there, it鈥檚 kind of tucked away,鈥� he said.

County Administrator Katheleen Freeman said the county will look at some potential sites and put together a list. Gill said the nonprofit organization can conduct market assessments on potential sites to determine viability.

The CEO said it 鈥渉urts my heart that we still haven鈥檛 solved this one,鈥� but expressed confidence that pursuing a larger YMCA facility in Caroline County is a benefit to residents and local businesses.

鈥淭here鈥檚 an economic engine behind the Y as well because it gives you kind of that third place in your community to connect to people,鈥� Gill said.