JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A proposed plan to tear down a YMCA campus in a Jacksonville neighborhood to make way for an affordable housing complex is getting some pushback from area residents.
Jacksonville Councilman Joe Carlucci confirmed on Monday a developer is looking to turn the YMCA Youth Development Campus on Old Kings Road South into affordable housing.
Carlucci said the YMCA is basically closed to the general public and has been for a while. In fact, the location is not listed as an active location on the YMCA website and the parking lot and pool are usually empty.
The Jacksonville Daily Record reported in 2021 that the 13-acre campus was being sold to Virginia-based Monday Properties Investments for an undisclosed sum, but according to Duval County property records, the property is still owned by the YMCA.
The campus is also home to the New American Welcome Center, a program that helps assimilate immigrants who have moved to Jacksonville by providing services including teaching English and seeking citizenship status.
Penny Zuber, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of First Coast YMCA told News4JAX the sale of the property is under contract and First Coast YMCA will continue operations at the location until the sale has been completed.
“The First Coast YMCA has been actively pursuing a new permanent location for the New American Welcome Center so that we can continue to offer vital programs and services to newcomers in our community,” Zuber said in a statement.
The YMCA of Florida’s First Coast board of directors and senior leadership decided to sell the duPont YMCA to offset financial losses related to COVID-19 in 2020, according to the Daily Record.
Alex Sifakis, President of JWB Real Estate Companies, is now proposing building affordable housing on the site, Carlucci said.
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Although many city leaders are pushing to build more affordable housing in Jacksonville, some San Jose residents living nearby are trying to gather support against the project ahead of a Wednesday town hall hosted by Carlucci.
“I have asked for this meeting as our area does not need another apartment complex,” a flyer handed out over the weekend by a resident reads. “Old Kings rd is too small to support traffic for this many people...Everyone needs to show up and voice your opinion on this, and how it will impact our neighborhood. Please join me as we need to do all possible to keep our neighborhood intact.”
The town hall meeting will be held Wednesday at the duPont Family YMCA at 7373 Old Kings Road South at 6 p.m.
Carlucci said the project is in the early stages and he doesn’t believe a rezoning bill has been filed yet.
