Steele Creek residents in southwest Charlotte will soon lose access to their local YMCA. The announcement follows a close call in recent years when the YMCA nearly sold another facility in the NoDa area due to financial challenges.
In a recent message to members, the YMCA of Greater Charlotte announced its Steele Creek Y will close at the end of January. The health and wellness center is not renewing its lease at the facility located near the Nations Ford corridor.
Joi Mayo is the board chair of Transforming Nations Ford, a community advocacy group. She’s concerned that the closure will have a big impact on underserved communities that rely on it.
"The Y offers such a great opportunity for people to do group exercise classes. We know that African American women, and women just in general, love exercise classes," Mayo said. “So, when we talk about like Black maternity, the rate of fatalities, all these things kind of go hand in hand.”
The YMCA said it remains committed to serving area residents through its partnership with two churches, which will provide services and programs.
The YMCA of Greater Charlotte has faced financial issues in recent years. In 2023, the organization announced that it would sell its Johnston YMCA in Noda to a developer, but those plans fell through.
Mayo, who has lived in the area for nine years, says community members are disappointed about the upcoming closure of the Steele Creek Y and would like to see the county place a recreation center in the area.
