U.S. Rep. Kim Schrier, D-Issaquah, right, shares a moment with Yvette Tolson while walking a lap on the second-floor track at the new Kent Y on Monday. MARK KLAAS, Kent Reporter

U.S. Rep. Kim Schrier, D-Issaquah, right, shares a moment with Yvette Tolson while walking a lap on the second-floor track at the new Kent Y on Monday. MARK KLAAS, Kent Reporter

Kent’s new YMCA prepares for Sept. 14 grand opening

U.S. Rep. Schrier: ‘It’s going to be a gem for the city’

Heavy-duty cranes have disappeared, giving way to last-minute construction details at the large building overlooking a popular park on East Hill.

Crews were busy installing carpeting, caulking gaps and installing fixtures on the Labor Day holiday.

Deadline for the official grand opening of the $36.6 million Kent YMCA is Sept. 14, and project leaders vow to meet it. From first shoveled dirt to last troweled brick, construction has spanned nearly 14 months.

“Should be ready to do,” an Abbott Construction crew member said as he walked down the ground-floor hallway to his next task.

Having completed a hard-hat tour of the two-story, 50,000-square-foot facility on Monday, U.S. Congresswoman Kim Schrier, D-Issaquah, came away impressed.

Building a “Y” is one thing, but constructing one tailored to meet the community’s specific needs is significant, responsible and impactful, she said. Schrier, a pediatrician, understands the importance of such a healthy hamlet.

“It’s an incredible asset for the whole community,” Schrier said after joining a small group of people, including Y project leaders and staff, on a preview of the multi-purpose center. “They’ve taken everything into account, everything from income levels to the needs of students, chronic disease prevention to even details that reflect the cultural needs of the population. It’s going to be a gem for the city.

“They really thoughtfully integrated the notion of a park, outdoor space, indoor space and what the community wants and needs,” she said. “And this is just a jewel.”

On the Y’s ground floor, the group toured community gathering spaces, a play zone for kids, a gym, and a state-of-the-art aquatic center that featured a six-lane, 25-meter-long pool and another pool designed for family activity, play and leisure. Upstairs, there were group fitness rooms, a running track that hovers and circles the gym and a premium cardio and free-weight fitness area.

The new Y will bring expanded school, child care and enrichment programs for children and youth. The Y also will provide mental health and counseling services.

Moreover, the Y’s indoor facilities will embrace and share outdoor recreation with an expanded Morrill Meadows Park.

Coming together

The “Y” is a success story, a collaborative effort led by the YMCA, the city of Kent and many partners, said Nathan Phillips, vice president of public policy and community relations for the YMCA of Greater Seattle.

“It’s been a long road to get here but the community set us up right,” said Phillips, who has been with the project from start to finish, nearly a six-year effort. “We feel pretty good. We’re doing what the community has asked of us to do.”

So far, so good, Phillips said. An early membership drive has attracted about 1,200 households, he said, with hopes of that number growing in the months ahead as the community discovers the facility at 10828 SE 248th St., Kent.

Phillips said the YMCA expects to have 11,000 members at the facility, with another 11,000 people to be served by programs that reach out to the community, including services accessible to people regardless of income.

There are different membership categories, as Phillips explained, based on household income. The model, adopted by the YMCA of Great Seattle, has caught on nationally.

The city of Kent is paying about $11 million toward the project.

Nearly $1 million is left to raise to completely cover the project’s bill, Y officials said.

Major contributors include about $5 million in state grants; a $2 million anonymous donation through the YMCA of Greater Seattle Board; $1 million from the Morford family; $1 million from the King County Council; $500,000 from the Employees Community Fund of Boeing; and $250,000 from the Delta Air Lines Foundation.

Learn more at seattleymca.org.


Talk to us

Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.

To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.

Nathan Phillips, vice president of public policy and community relations for the YMCA of Greater Seattle, talks with a touring group at the new Kent YMCA on Monday. MARK KLAAS, Kent Reporter

Nathan Phillips, vice president of public policy and community relations for the YMCA of Greater Seattle, talks with a touring group at the new Kent YMCA on Monday. MARK KLAAS, Kent Reporter

More in News

Courtesy Photo, Kent Police
Kent City Council considers sales tax hike to hire more police

Council could approve measure without going to voters; hike would be 10 cents on every $100 purchase

t
Kent father, 26, killed in shooting June 16 on East Hill

Family identifies Leroy Tinoga, married father of two young children

King County’s Patricia Clark Children and Family Justice Center in Seattle, where juveniles facing criminal charges are detained. COURTESY PHOTO, King County
Man, juvenile face murder charges in Kent student’s death

Kent-Meridian High student fatally shot in June 2024 during drug deal at Campus Park

t
Signs at Reith Road roundabouts in Kent take a beating

Drivers knocking down directional and yield signs at two new roundabouts

t
Kent woman faces vehicular homicide charge in March crash

Wajiha Din also faces vehicular assault in collision that killed Jose Ortiz and injured his wife

Courtesy Photo
Kent man, 63, charged with robbing Auburn bank

The suspect wore no mask, but donned an orange safety vest.

File Photo, Kent Reporter
Man fatally shot on East Hill in Kent; found inside vehicle

Incident Monday afternoon, June 16 in area of SE 240th Street and 108th Avenue SE

t
People ‘fed up’ with Trump administration protest in Covington | Photos

Estimated crowd of 1,500 lines main street in town June 14 with signs and chants

t
Kent firefighters fight three fires in three days | Photos

Puget Sound Fire responds June 10-12 to camper, house and apartment fires; no injuries

Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. FILE PHOTO, Kent Reporter
Man receives 10-year sentence for Kent parking lot killing

Fatally shot man in 2023 after he approached vehicle with baseball bat as part of ongoing feud

File Photo, Kent Reporter
Kent Police Blotter: May 26 to June 8

Incidents include domestic violence, store robbery, vehicle pursuit, copper wire theft

Washington State STEM Signing Day 2025 honorees in a group photo at a celebration event on June 6, at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center (VMAC) in Renton. Courtesy photo.
Select Kent seniors, grads honored on STEM Signing Day

Two Kentridge High students, one Kent-Meridian student receive recognition