By Emilie St. John
INGLEWOOD – Fundraising efforts are underway to bring a new $40 million YMCA facility back to the city of Inglewood.
The announcement was made on September 25 at Caroline Coleman Stadium, located across from the district offices of the Inglewood Unified School District.
“For the first time in more than two decades, the students in Inglewood will have a swimming pool,” said Dr. James Morris from the IUSD. “We have students who want to participate in competitive swimming or water polo, and they don’t have an opportunity, but the Y is bringing that to our students in our school district.”
The event was attended by Senator Laura Richardson, Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr., Inglewood Councilmembers Dionne Faulk, Gloria Gray, and Eloy Morales Jr., alongside IUSD Advisory Board Members Margaret Evans and Carliss McGhee.
Representing the Y were Wendy Grueul, Board Chair, YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, Victor Dominguez, CEO, YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, and John Semecken, YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles Board Member, Inglewood Task Force Chair.
According to a spokesperson for the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, the press conference was to announce that the YMCA is returning to Inglewood to build a new center, and they are raising funds for the construction.
“Some philanthropy has been pledged already,” said the spokesperson, but they declined to state an exact amount.
The proposed two-story, 30,000-square-foot facility would replace the aging IUSD district offices at 401 S. Inglewood Ave.
The new facility would be designed to deliver holistic programming for multi-generational impact. The new Inglewood Y will feature a CIF-regulation swimming pool, a full-sized CIF-regulation gymnasium, modern fitness areas with cardio and strength equipment, and dedicated spaces for children’s activities, group exercise, and community gatherings — all designed for universal access.
Programming will span every stage of life, including early learning and school-age programs, as well as youth sports in partnership with LA professional sports leagues, such as the Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Los Angeles Kings.
The center would also provide teens with leadership development skills through Youth & Government and employment opportunities. Fitness programs and nutrition programs would be available for adults.
The new facility would serve the Inglewood community and neighboring residents in Hawthorne and unincorporated Lennox.
The Inglewood Y opened in 1941 and operated at 319 E. Kelso Street until its closure in 2009. Three years prior, the Inglewood City Council entertained a proposal to develop a 35,000 square foot facility on property owned by the then Inglewood Redevelopment Agency during a special meeting held in January 2006.1
The discussion centered on the Y acquiring a nearly 3-acre parcel on Prairie Avenue between 101st Street and 102nd Street, which would be developed under a shared development agreement.
The City would be tasked with committing $4 million towards its development. A robust discussion then ensued regarding who would have control over the hiring and firing of staff.
The development agreement didn’t come to fruition, and the property was subsequently sold to Murphy’s Bowl LLC, which built the Intuit Dome.
Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr. noted that when he left the Inglewood Police Department to become the chief of police in the city of Santa Monica, the YMCA was in existence, and when he returned in 2011 after being elected mayor, it was no longer there.
“I’ve committed to getting $4 million in from elected…to donate to it…and I’m trying to do 10%,” said Butts during the September 30 city council meeting.
“My father was the president of the Crenshaw YMCA on Santa Rosalia,” explained Butts. “He was the only Black man to lead a YMCA in the 1950s, so I’m very proud of that.”
The goal is to have the facility open in time for the 2028 Olympics.
- Inglewood Redevelopment Agency Special Meeting held January 13, 2006 https://www.cityofinglewood.org/DocumentCenter/View/2108/r-5pdf?bidId= ↩︎
