Charlotte YMCA wants financial stability, but Lincoln County leaders worry about cuts

Jodie Valade
·5 min read
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Lincoln County leaders say they are concerned the YMCA of Greater Charlotte is preparing to sell two branches in the county so that the financially struggling nonprofit can save money, and that one potential owner might not continue to operate the YMCA.

The YMCA of Greater Charlotte said Wednesday it is “exploring possibilities for the future” of all facilities, but that no final decision has been made on the fate of the Lincoln County Family YMCA in Lincolnton or Sally’s YMCA in Denver.

But with Lincoln Charter School as one potential bidder for the properties, the future of the two branches has unleashed a heated debate among leaders and community members on social media about whether the YMCA is honoring its commitment to best serve community needs.

Lincoln County Schools Superintendent Aaron Allen, a past board chair of the Lincoln County Y, sent an email to YMCA of Greater Charlotte leaders Sunday expressing concern that the nonprofit is prioritizing money over the community. The email has since been circulated on social media, and leaders such as Sally’s YMCA board member and Lincoln County Schools Board of Education member Krista Heavner have expressed concern.

“These branches are, at the core, fundamentally supposed to serve those that need (the) most equitable chances to improve ‘self,’” Allen wrote in the email. “The Lincoln Co YMCA acquisition plan is an afterthought from the charter school and with that approach, I am demonstratively disappointed that the spirit of the YMCA has been lost due to the chance to chase a dollar.”

RELATED: NoDa Y sale is symptom of bigger financial problems at Charlotte’s YMCAr

In an interview with the Observer, Allen said: “At the end of the day, this is a community public health issue that if these Ys were to shut down or change direction or morph, then that’s where it becomes a problem that the county has got to be aware of. It has sparked a groundswell of conversation, if nothing else, around here, and that is for everyone’s benefit.”

The Greater Charlotte YMCA, which includes the Lincoln Ys, said in a statement Wednesday that “all options currently under consideration include the YMCA continuing to serve Lincoln County.”

The YMCA did not respond to a request for clarification on whether that would include a physical presence in Lincoln County.

On Wednesday, Allen met with Greater Charlotte YMCA interim CEO Gene Johnson. A joint statement issued Thursday by the organizations led by both men, along with board chairs of the two Lincoln County Ys, said a community task force will be formed and meet “with the intent to have an agreed-upon direction by the end of this year.”

“As a group, we look forward to working with one another, along with other community partners, to come up with the best solution for the citizens, families and children of Lincoln County,” the statement said.

Sally’s YMCA in Denver is part of the YMCA of Greater Charlotte.
Sally’s YMCA in Denver is part of the YMCA of Greater Charlotte.

Easing financial burden

Selling two of its branches would help ease a financial burden for the YMCA of Greater Charlotte, which has struggled financially since the pandemic. According to the YMCA’s tax records, total revenue was down more than 28% from 2019 to 2021, the most recent year for which records are available. In an effort to restructure the organization to save money, the YMCA has focused on improving profitability in four main areas: philanthropy, camping, programs and services, and footprint.

The most noticeable changes have occurred under the footprint heading, and the YMCA of Greater Charlotte announced earlier this year that it has reached an agreement to sell its Johnston branch in NoDa. That branch will close at the end of 2023, and county records show that a developer plans to build an apartment community called NoDa Village at that site.

The Johnston Y property and buildings have an appraised value of $19.4 million, according to county records.

YMCA of Greater Charlotte said last month that it was exploring having another YMCA association assume operation of its Lincoln County branches, and a spokesperson for the YMCA of Catawba Valley confirmed that it had submitted a Letter of Intent to acquire both. YMCA of Greater Charlotte did not comment on whether Catawba Valley still is a possibility to acquire the branches.

The Lincolnton branch historically has not been profitable. The two properties have a combined appraised value of $12.4 million, according to Lincoln County records.

The YMCA of Greater Charlotte announced that the Johnston branch in NoDa will be closing at the end of the year. They have talked for years of trying to renovate the building, but COVID hit the YMCA hard financially, and they need to sell the building to ensure they have money coming in.
The YMCA of Greater Charlotte announced that the Johnston branch in NoDa will be closing at the end of the year. They have talked for years of trying to renovate the building, but COVID hit the YMCA hard financially, and they need to sell the building to ensure they have money coming in.

Lincoln Charter School interest

Lincoln Charter School Chief Administrator Jonathan Bryant told the Observer his school has talked to the Y, but has not submitted an official offer. Bryant said his school’s two sites have a long-term strategic plan that includes expanding its facilities.

“It’s no secret that our campuses still have needs from an extracurricular perspective, and so we’ve talked about facilities needs and things of that nature,” Bryant said.

Bryant would not confirm details of any plans for a potential purchase of the Lincoln County branches, but said that he wants the YMCA to continue to operate in the county.

“As a leader of Lincoln Charter, I would hate to see the Y cease to exist in Lincoln County,” Bryant said. “That’s not good for anybody — including our own community, the Lincoln Charter community. Our parents work there, our kids go there.”

In Lincoln County, the YMCA of Greater Charlotte touts the two branches as the county’s largest child care provider, “serving more than 300 children weekly in our preschool, afterschool, homeschool and camp programs,” and that more than 20,000 people use both facilities annually.

“The after-school component piece would change our economy, would change parents’ ability to have gainful employment, to know that they don’t all have to get off (work) at 2:30, 3 o’clock to get their kids,” Allen said of the possibility of losing child care if the Ys close. “So, I have an interest in what happens.”

If the branches are acquired by an organization that would close the physical structure, community members like Laura Helms would be frustrated.

“It’s just disappointing,” said Helms, who teaches a fitness class at Sally’s YMCA. “We all grew up with these Ys around us, and then for them to sell and there’s not going be any local children’s programs, just for a dollar? For what? I think that’s the hard part to see.”