Ballantyne braces for Morrison Y's closure
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Morrison YMCA. Photo: Courtesy of the YMCA of Greater Charlotte
When the YMCA of Greater Charlotte announced plans to sell its Morrison branch in south Charlotte, we asked readers to share their memories of the Y that has served Ballantyne.
Why it matters: Selling the branch for $42.5 million will provide funds for the YMCA as it navigates a complex financial landscape and tries to keep pace with facility needs.
Catch up quick: The Morrison YMCA, which serves 4,200 households, will be sold to Moments of Hope Church, and the deal is expected to close by summer 2027. The Y will remain open until then.
- Morrison Y programing will relocate to nearby branches.
Yes, but: Despite the promise of continued investment in south Charlotte by the YMCA, Charlotte residents have started a petition to "save" the branch. It has nearly 4,000 signatures as of Monday afternoon.
Between the lines: Some readers tell Axios they are concerned about Moments of Hope Church purchasing the site. Moments of Hope Church pastor David Chadwick was forced to resign from Forest Hill Church in 2019. Forest Hill Church currently operates its Ballantyne campus out of the Morrison Y.
The big picture: Ultimately, readers say the closure of this Y branch is the "end of an era," as Pender Watson tells Axios.
- For many Charlotteans, the Morrison Y has been part of their lives for years. Some met their spouses at the Morrison Y and later sent their kids to camp there.
- Kiran Smith taught group fitness classes there and all four of her kids spent time at the Y's childcare. They celebrated milestones and "made friendships that extended far beyond the gym walls," Smith says.
What they're saying: Watson recalls going to Middle School Madness at the Morrison Y in 2003-2004.
- "Fast forward to 10 years after that, I went to group classes in that room almost every day of the week to help me lose the 20 lbs I gained in college," Watson says. "Turbo Kick classes were the best!"
- Watson is sad to see the Morrison Y go, she says, and had planned on sending her toddler to the branch's day camps once he was older.
- "We live in that area and I can't think of the next closest YMCA we would visit," Watson says.
The bottom line: "For our family, the Y was much more than a place to just work out—it was a community. It's hard to imagine South Charlotte without the Morrison Y," Smith says.