In a recent survey of PYP members, which garnered over 90 responses, 78% of our members expressed their support for the plan to move the YMCA to the Community Maritime Park. Additionally, 52% of our respondents stated that a new YMCA at the Park would increase their willingness to move or live in downtown Pensacola.
Last month, the Pensacola Young Professionals held an Urban Redevelopment Advisory Committee (URAC) Forum. At the URAC Forum, PYP members voted to select their three highest-priority items from the URAC Report. One of the items PYP’s members chose to support was a focused effort to increase affordable housing opportunities in Downtown Pensacola and create a vibrant, livable community in that area. A new, state-of-the-art YMCA will certainly contribute to that goal.
This community facility would be an absolute asset for any young professionals looking to locate in the downtown area, and would work in concert with the stadium to add tremendous public value for those considering a move to Pensacola’s downtown core. For those already downtown, this amenity would increase the overall quality of life, as the facility is sure to improve the overall health of our citizens and increase the amount of safe after-school activities available to our youth.
The Community Maritime Park was always dedicated to hosting community facilities, such as UWF’s proposed Maritime Museum. That goal is not lost, since the new YMCA facility is set to educate visitors with historical displays illustrating our community’s past and its close ties with the water. The proposed facility will also have ways for our citizens to enjoy our waterfront with kayaks, paddleboats, and stand-up paddle boards.
PYP’s membership and its Board of Directors are strongly in support of the proposal to relocate the YMCA to the Community Maritime Park. We encourage our city leaders to arrange matters as necessary to allow this move to happen as swiftly and easily as possible.
PYP is a non-profit organization whose mission is to develop the Pensacola Bay Area as a thriving and dynamic place to live, work and play by making our fellow young professionals and the community aware of issues shaping the area through proactive civic, social and professional involvement.