LONGMONT, Colo. — Longmont City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to purchase the former YMCA facility on Lashley Street for $4.5 million and reopen it as a city recreation center.
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The YMCA of Northern Colorado shut down the facility's fitness and aquatics programs in February after years of financial decline. The facility still operates childcare programs, including a preschool, before and after school care, and day camps for children.
“Like many nonprofits in Colorado and beyond, the Longmont YMCA faced financial barriers, including reduced government and grant funding,” YMCA of Northern Colorado executive director of communications Andra Coberly Webster said.
For many YMCA members, the closure was like shutting down a vital community hub.
"That was horrible," said Patsi Meyer, a former Longmont YMCA member. "Because it was such a familiar place, and because it was so useful for so many people, I mean, I'm telling you, that gym was always full of people."
Meyer said the closure felt like the community's social ties had been severed.
"It was a very social gathering place," she said. "It's important for elderly to see, to be with other people."
Longmont city leaders said they had been in conversations with the YMCA of Northern Colorado about the facility's future since 2025 and began negotiating purchase terms in 2026. During Tuesday's meeting, city officials said the acquisition of the building would help expand recreation capacity to meet the growing needs of Longmont, while preserving a place of connection.
City council members voted unanimously to purchase the 60,000-square-foot building for $4.5 million. City leaders said they expect renovations to cost about $8 million over ten years, with about $4 million invested before the facility opens. The purchase and renovation will be funded largely through the city's recreation impact fee fund, which collects fees charged to residential developers.
The city said renovations will preserve the facility's existing layout and focus on HVAC upgrades, pool and roof repairs, ADA compliance, cosmetic improvements, parking lot upgrades, and new exterior signage. City leaders said they expect the recreation center to reopen in early 2028.
Longmont resident Laurel Payzant said her family relied on the Y five to seven days a week for workouts and childcare. She said she hopes the new rec center will bring back the YMCA's close-knit feel.
"Definitely keep the childcare open and the pool and all the programs," she said. "And if they can involve the community in the way that it was before, I think it would just be amazing to see that building stay and be used for what it was and always has been."
Longmont has one other recreation center, located on Quail Road, but city leaders said it has become overcrowded as the city has grown.
“The Longmont Recreation Center regularly experiences high demand for fitness areas, gym space, aquatic programs and fitness classes,” City of Longmont senior communications and marketing manager Jill Lis said.
The facility will include an indoor lap pool, gymnasium, fitness areas, walking track, turf field and space for community programs.
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The YMCA of Northern Colorado said there are 125 children in preschool and day camps at the Longmont facility this summer.
Longmont city leaders said they plan to continue childcare services during and after the building's transition.
