Mystic YMCA

breaks ground on $7.2 million expansion, renovation project.

Mystic — About 75 people gathered at the Mystic branch of the Ocean Community YMCA Thursday afternoon for the groundbreaking of a $7.2 million expansion and renovation project that will take place over the next 13 months.

It was a moment for YMCA officials to thank the many volunteers who have worked over the past several years to bring the project to fruition as well as the 260 donors, led by $1.2 million from Sekhar and Archana Naik of Mystic, who funded the work.

The new YMCA will be known as the Naik Family Branch of the Ocean Community YMCA.

John Paul Morales, a longtime YMCA member who serves as its chief volunteer officer, said the turnout for Thursday’s groundbreaking “shows that the community has an appetite to give back and open up their wallets to give to something they are passionate about.”

Morales said that many friendships and family memories have been created at the YMCA facility, which began as the Mystic Community Center 34 years ago before becoming a YMCA in 2003.

“The reason we’re here is to keep that spirit going forward,” he said, adding that despite aging infrastructure, that spirit has been maintained.

He told the crowd that the planning for the project began in 2013 and YMCA officials and volunteers visited other YMCAs and then took the best ideas from those facilities and tailored them for the Mystic community.

Despite what he called “tough times” in the state, Stonington First Selectman Rob Simmons said the town has allocated $100,000 toward the project, as well as waived the project’s $37,000 in building permit fees.

“Over the past 13 years the YMCA has not asked for a single dollar from the town despite the wonderful services they offer the community. We thought they deserved credit for that,” he said about the town’s donation.

A total of $4.3 million has been raised for the work so far and fundraising continues.

YMCA President and CEO Maureen Fitzgerald said the expanded building will be able to serve more people and offer programs such as support groups and mentoring it can’t offer now because of space limitations.

In addition to the Naiks, Fitzgerald also praised the generosity of members Tom and Candy Sanford, who made the first leadership gift, and then when fundraising was lagging, made another gift that generated matching donations.

Fitzgerald told those at Thursday’s ceremony that they will be back in 13 months for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“Remember the best is yet to come to the Mystic area through the YMCA,” she said.

Plans call for 12,500 square feet of new space as well as new locker rooms, additional parking, exercise studios, a teen center, dedicated child care room, community room and an expanded wellness center.

The building will be handicapped accessible with an elevator and new HVAC systems.

A new two-story entrance will re-orient the building to overlook the Mystic River. The YMCA will remain open during construction.