Durham's downtown YMCA to expand with new $46M facility by early 2029

Durham is set to have a bigger YMCA in the heart of downtown by early 2029. 

The YMCA of the Triangle announced Thursday plans to acquire land adjacent to the American Tobacco Campus to build a new 65,000-square-foot facility. This 0.79-acre property is at the corner of Blackwell and West Pettigrew Streets. 

This new facility will expand the amount of vital services to the community and build on the relationship between the YMCA and the ATC, according to the news release. The real estate division of Capitol Broadcasting Company (CBC) will develop the site on behalf of the YMCA.

This new facility will feature multiple rooftop terraces with outdoor fitness areas, an indoor pool, full basketball court, indoor track, group fitness studios and a dedicated space for youth and family programming. The plans for the facility also includes 80 onsite parking spaces. 

"It will be a first being in a downtown community like this," Bruce Ham, president and CEO of the YMCA of the Triangle, said. "It will be a multi-story YMCA. The lot is fairly small, so it'll go up instead of out. 
But it gives us a lot of unique opportunities." 

CBC is the owner of WRAL, real estate properties in Durham and Rocky Mount and the Durham Bulls.

The YMCA of the Triangle signed a letter of intent with CBC in December 2024 to finalize the purchase agreement earlier this year. The estimated cost of construction will be $46 million. Construction is set to begin in fall 2027. 

“The current, aging Downtown Durham Y facility doesn’t allow for increased services in downtown Durham,” said Ham. “This new, convenient location will allow us to partner with even more children, teens, adults and seniors throughout Durham County. We look forward to working closely with CBC Real Estate on this incredible project that will positively impact so many lives.”

The current YMCA at the ATC first opened in 2005 as part of the phase of renovations for the campus. This facility is more of a wellness center, a smaller YMCA concept that complements larger branch locations. It has operated continuously since then, becoming one of ATC’s longest-standing tenants, the news release stated. 

Over the past two decades, the YMCA and ATC have collaborated on a range of campus and community initiatives, including the creation of The Cage, an outdoor multipurpose recreation facility that opened in 2012. 

"Putting in a new facility in easy walking distance of all those houses and apartments, and putting it also in close proximity to the Durham Transportation Center and the great connectivity that it has to our community is something that is hopefully really beneficial in terms of benefiting the community," John Nelson, development manager at CBC Real Estate, said. 

The news release also mentioned that efforts are underway to partner with a health care provider to operate an onsite primary care clinic, which is part of a broader strategy to meet the needs of the Durham community. 

The current Downtown Durham YMCA will remain open throughout construction.