Speer YMCA and joint school clear final development step

Vertical construction is nearly complete for the area’s first joint YMCA and magnet middle school campus. 

During a Nov. 2 St. Petersburg City Council meeting, councilmembers unanimously supported the final replat plans entailing new easements and abutting right of way for the 19-acre Speer YMCA and Mangrove Bay Middle School, located at 501 62nd Ave. NE. 

Construction as of November 2023 for the Speer YMCA and Mangrove Bay Middle School. All photos by Veronica Brezina.

Liz Abernethy, the city’s planning and development services director, said the YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg modified the entry points “in order to address concerns of access and traffic into the neighborhood.” The latest plans show a closed a portion of Pershing Street to prevent cut-through vehicular traffic. 

St. Petersburg-based Wannemacher Jensen Architects and Harvard Jolly broke ground on the 111,757-square-foot complex last year. The two-story building will have shared areas and amenities used by YMCA members and over 600 middle school students. 

The parking lot area facing the entrance. 

The school will offer electives aligned to the YMCA’s areas of impact: Youth development, healthy living and social responsibility.  

Dozens of workers were on the site today, installing equipment and tying together the shared amenities such as the media center, gym, culinary center, track and garden and pool. 

A building overlooking the future track and field area. 

RELATED: Inside the design process of St. Pete’s new YMCA, magnet school

“This [campus] can eliminate barriers to access and bring low-income and high-income families together while promoting health and social equity,” Abernethy said. 

The campus, under construction at the site of the old Riviera Middle School, will allow students to enroll in before- and after-school care through the YMCA, where there will also be volunteering opportunities. 

Councilmember Brandi Gabbard, who oversaw the area before the redistricting went into effect in 2022, said the project will meet a vital need for the surrounding neighborhood. 

“This is long overdue,” Gabbard said. “In District 2, for those who don’t know, we don’t have a rec center. We have one park and very limited facilities and service for residents, so this is going to be a welcomed addition to the area.”

Councilmembers Ed Montanari and Gina Driscoll, who visited the site during a hard hat tour, were impressed by the quality of construction work and planning. 

“We are at a point now where we really see the vision coming to life and how the school and Y will share resources that benefit everyone … it’s going to create a ripple effect,” Driscoll said. 

The YMCA is expected to debut in December. The school will open in fall 2024. 

The two entities are sharing the cost of the campus. The YMCA is paying $21.6 million, and Pinellas County School Board is funneling $26.3 million. 

Earlier this year, YMCA executives announced they were looking to close a funding round after raising $20 million for the combined facility. 

In late October, the YMCA raised an additional $3 million. The Speer Foundation previously donated $8 million for the 75,000-square-foot Speer YMCA.