‘Morally indefensible.’ NoDa residents urge halt to YMCA land sale to developer
Calling the sale of the Johnston YMCA land to unnamed developers “morally indefensible,” residents and business owners in Charlotte’s NoDa neighborhood are demanding a halt to the transaction.
The north Charlotte community gave the parcel to the YMCA of Greater Charlotte in a land swap decades ago, Krysten Reilly, president of the NoDa Neighborhood & Business Association, wrote to YMCA and city and Mecklenburg County officials Tuesday.
“It is not morally nor logically defensible for the YMCA to sell their gift from the community for maximum profit with zero consideration for the local community,” Reilly wrote.
She asked the officials to pause the official sale so her group can “meet and negotiate some sensible limits to what will remain, as well as what can be built on this site.”
“We welcome any opportunity to restart this conversation, but in the meantime, we need full disclosure on what has transpired and what your immediate plans and business dealings are to this point,” she urged YMCA officials.
A statement to The Charlotte Observer from YMCA of Greater Charlotte spokeswoman Heather Briganti Saturday night did not address the neighborhood’s specific requests.
“The YMCA of Greater Charlotte has owned and managed the Johnston Y property for more than 70 years and is currently under an agreement with a developer for the sale of the property,” the statement said.
Front lawn community space
The NoDa group urged the YMCA to place encumbrances on the deed of sale.
At minimum, those should include preserving the front lawn of the YMCA as a community space and preserving the historic streetscape along North Davidson Street and all heritage trees, Reilly said.
The YMCA’s front facade also should remain, she said.
“For decades, the Johnston YMCA front porch has been the meeting place of North Charlotte,” Reilly wrote.
Adaptive reuse, affordable housing
The association also said it supports “adaptive reuse” of the Y building.
“This is a historic, contributing structure of Historic North Charlotte; a vital link in the mill town community life that defines NoDa’s past,” according to the group’s letter.
The YMCA parking lot and former Thompson Child Development Center parcel are appropriate for commercial and multifamily residential development, the group said.
Affordable housing also should be required, because such housing represents the YMCA’s core mission, association members said.
An urban YMCA recreation space should be a part of the future development, the group said.
“Tearing away the Johnston YMCA’s fellowship, brotherhood and recreation amenities from North Charlotte will leave a scar that simply cannot heal through unencumbered commercial development,” according to the letter.
And commercial space should be included for community gathering meetings and events “with a focus on commemorating the history of North Charlotte and the Johnston Memorial YMCA,” Reilly wrote.
In a May news release, YMCA officials said financial needs weighed on the organization’s decision to sell the property to developers. The YMCA also said it won’t put a future facility on the site.
The Johnston YMCA is expected to operate through year’s end.
This story was originally published June 11, 2023 at 10:34 AM.