The Johnston YMCA in NoDa will stick around — for a while, at least — after a deal to sell the property fell through.
The Charlotte Observer first reported that the organization failed to sell the property nestled in Charlotte’s NoDa neighborhood.
The 73-year-old branch announced in May that it would close at the end of the year, and there were no plans for any future YMCA facilities on the property. The organization did not say to whom they planned to sell the building, which was valued at about $19 million. The property was expected to be redeveloped.
The original announcement of the sale came at a time where the YMCA of Greater Charlotte was struggling financially. The proposal to sell the property was meant to help the YMCA financially bounce back.
While other industries returned to normalcy in the post-COVID world, tax records showed that revenue was down for the YMCA, which lost members as gyms remained closed during the pandemic.
Between 2019 and 2021, revenue was down just over 28%, and membership was down 25%.
Here’s the YMCA’s full statement about the aborted sale:
Earlier this year, the YMCA of Greater Charlotte announced the sale of its Johnston YMCA property in NoDa.
Due to current market conditions, we are no longer under contract with the original developer and continue to explore options for the future of the property that will support us in accomplishing the following:
• Help our Y improve its financial position
• Continue to serve the NoDa/north Charlotte community
We had announced that the Johnston YMCA would close at the end of 2023. At this time, the branch will stay open to continue health & wellness and programming for the foreseeable future.
We’d like to thank our dedicated Johnston YMCA staff, members and volunteers, along with the NoDa community, for their continued support of our Y.
