YMCA working toward raising $1 million for local share of cost of new facility

Supporters of the Dickson County Family YMCA are about a quarter of the way to raising $1 million as the local share of the cost of building a new facility. Paul Pitney, executive director of the Dickson Y, updated county commissioners on the project during Monday night’s work session. Pitney said the YMCA of Middle Tennessee has agreed to borrow up to $2.5 million dollars to build and open a facility on 10 acres of donated land in the Crestview business park on Highway 46. Pitney unveiled designs for a multi-phase project that would start with a 22,000-square-foot first phase including a beginner fitness area, counseling rooms, teaching kitchen and chapel. A second phase is proposed to include a six-lane, 25-yard lap pool and family swimming pool. Pitney said the YMCA facility will eventually employ over 100 part-time workers with an annual payroll of over $160,000. He said there is currently $300,000 in YMCA dues being spent by Dickson County residents for memberships in facilities outside the county. Pitney said the Y raised over $150,000 in less than a year to hire staff members and begin providing programs in Dickson County, which include swimming lessons, camp scholarships and the Restore ministry group counseling program. He said C.K. Pruett Construction will be the contractor for the new facility but gave no timeline for the building project to begin.