Officials help break ground for east branch of Fox Valley Family YMCA

In helping break ground for the Fox Valley Family YMCA’s east branch, Kendall County Board Chairman Matt Kellogg took note of the importance of the YMCA and the services it provides.

“People are going to move into the area because the YMCA is here,” Kellogg said during a groundbreaking ceremony on Aug. 27. “I’m so excited for what’s coming. Congratulations and thank you.”

State Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, also noted the impact the YMCA organization has had.

“The YMCA has always been the cornerstone of our community, focusing on early childhood education, health and human services and overall community programs,” she said. “’As a strong advocate for policies that support working families and children, I’ve always found a mutual connection in the YMCA’s mission to ensure that every child has the opportunity to succeed and that every family has the support that they need. This new facility will help continue that longstanding effort by allowing the Fox Valley Family YMCA to serve countless families, offering them a place where their children can learn, grow and thrive.”

The new $16 million east branch will be built on 26 acres at the intersection of of Galena Road and Cannonball Trail in Bristol. The 59,700 square-foot facility is set to open its doors to the community in late 2025.

The new facility will serve the growing number of people who use the Fox Valley Family YMCA.

Fox Valley YMCA currently serves more than 8,600 members and program participants a year at its two locations in Plano – its central branch – and Sandwich. The Sandwich campus is Fox Valley Family YMCA’s west branch.

The project is divided into three phases. The $16 million is for the first phase of the project, expected to be completed by October 2025.

The Fox Valley Family YMCA was established in 1979 and the Plano location opened in 1991. The Sandwich location opened in 2006.

The Fox Valley Family YMCA offers a variety of programming, including group exercise classes, strength training, yoga, pickleball and aquatic classes. The new facility will include a fitness center equipped with the latest exercise technology, a three-lane walking track and staffed by expert trainers.

It will also feature a supervised area where kids can play while their parents work out. In addition, it will house a multi-purpose gymnasium that will offer three full-size, multi-use courts for basketball, along with volleyball and pickleball courts.

Multi-purpose rooms that can be used for group meetings, social gatherings and special programming, including educational workshops, also will be part of the new facility.

The project’s second phase includes an indoor, Olympic-sized pool.

Phase three would add a day care center that would serve a growing demand for day care. Fox Valley YMCA currently maintains day care facilities at its Plano and Sandwich locations.

Phases 2 and 3 are expected to cost between $10 million to $12 million altogether.

The land for the new facility is all paid for. Fox Valley YMCA maintains a scholarship program to ensure that no one is turned away because of financial challenges. Last year, the YMCA awarded 1,126 scholarships to families in need.

Scholarships are funded through its operations and donations.

For more information about the project or to make a donation, go to foxvalleyymca.org.