YMCA Lake Mary location could close
After suffering massive losses in revenue and membership during the pandemic, YMCA of Central Florida could soon shutter another location.
The J. Douglas Williams YMCA Family Center in Lake Mary may become the latest location to close if the nonprofit organization is able to sell its building on Longwood Lake Mary Road.
“As a community-funded and supported nonprofit, the YMCA of Central Florida is taking necessary steps to recover from the severe impacts of the pandemic while continuing to meet the evolving needs of the community,” YMCA of Central Florida’s Chief Mission & Brand Advancement Officer Dan Saginario said in a statement. “Therefore, we are exploring several opportunities related to the transfer of ownership of the J. Douglas Williams YMCA property in Lake Mary.”
Saginario did not share to whom the organization will consider selling but one interested buyer was revealed in an application to the Seminole County Planning and Development Division.
International educator Edson Urubatan Andrade wants to purchase the building in hopes of opening a pre-school and elementary school large enough for up to 400 students on the property.
According to his real estate agent Luis Martins, Urubatan operates hundreds of schools across the globe but, if the sale is approved, this would be his first school in the region. It would take about six months to make minor structural changes to the building, add a modular building outside for additional classroom space and hire a staff to get the school ready for opening by August, Urubatan wrote in his application requesting a zoning change to allow the planned AUDE School.
“We recognize the growing demand for quality education in the Lake Mary area and believe that repurposing the YMCA building aligns perfectly with our mission to provide exceptional learning opportunities for children,” Urubatan wrote in a letter to the planning and development office. “Our proposed school aims to create a nurturing and stimulating environment where students can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.”
It’s not clear what other potential buyers the YMCA of Central Florida may be considering.
If the Lake Mary building is shuttered, it will follow recent closures in Avalon Park and Cocoa. In 2021, the Y also announced it would not reopen an Orange County-owned recreation complex in Tangelo Park, which needed an estimated $4 million in renovations. It also recently sold its historic 70-acre Camp Wewa to the city of Apopka for $4.7 million.
The COVID-19 pandemic cost the YMCA of Central Florida millions in lost revenue and nearly 94,000 membership cancellations. In September CEO Kevin Bolding told the Orlando Sentinel that membership has started to recover but still had not reached pre-pandemic levels.
