The Knox County YMCA expects to have their downtown location running sometime between March and June.
About $700,000 of the $1 million capital campaign has been raised and construction can begin once the funds are collected.
The new location that used to be Wells Fargo is around 10,000 sq., over double the size of the wellness center on Carl Sandburg Drive.
Knox County “Y” CEO, Adam Sampson tells the Galesburg Live on WGIL believes that this expansion will serve a different segment of the population from the Sandburg Drive and Knoxville locations.
“This space will all be open, it will be free flowing to try to create spaces where people can sit and talk and build relationships with each other, not only that but why they work out too,” Sampson says.
Sampson also hopes that the new location will drive traffic downtown and will free space up at the Sandburg location for kids at night.
He says conversations had their genesis eight months ago in discussions about how to support the community after a recent loss of early childhood centers.
Sampson says currently spaces that are used both for group fitness classes and kids activities will have more flexibility with the addition.
Tune in to Galesburg Live on 93.7 FM/1400-AM WGIL this Saturday at 7 a.m. to hear Sampson’s full interview with Jim Lee.
