Officials gathered Sept. 25 to discuss plans to build a new YMCA facility in Inglewood. Pictured, from left, are YMCA board member John Semecken, Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr., YMCA board Chair Wendy Grueul, Carlis McGhee and James Morris of the Inglewood school district, YMCA executive Victor Dominguez, and state Sen. Laura Richardson.
Photo by Erika Aoki
By Emilie St. John
Contributing Writer
INGLEWOOD — Fundraising efforts are underway to bring a $40 million YMCA facility back to the city.
The announcement was made Sept. 25 at Caroline Coleman Stadium, located across from the district offices of the Inglewood Unified School District.
“For the first time in more than two decades, the students in Inglewood will have a swimming pool,” said James Morris, the county administrator overseeing the Inglewood Unified School District. “We have students who want to participate in competitive swimming or water polo, and they don’t have an opportunity, but the Y is bringing that to our students in our school district.”
The event was attended by state Sen. Laura Richardson, Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr., Inglewood Council members Dionne Faulk, Gloria Gray and Eloy Morales Jr., alongside Inglewood school board members Margaret Evans and Carliss McGhee.
Representing the YMCA were Wendy Grueul, board chair of the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles; Victor Dominguez, CEO of the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, and John Semecken, YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles board member and Inglewood Task Force chair.
According to a spokesperson for the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, the press conference was to announce that the YMCA is returning to Inglewood to build a new center, and they are raising funds for the construction.
“Some philanthropy has been pledged already,” said the spokesperson, but they declined to state an exact amount.
The proposed two-story, 30,000-square-foot facility would replace the aging Inglewood school district office at 401 S. Inglewood Ave.
The new facility would be designed to deliver holistic programming for multi-generational impact. The new Inglewood YMCA will feature a CIF-regulation swimming pool, a full-sized CIF-regulation gymnasium, modern fitness areas with cardio and strength equipment, and dedicated spaces for children’s activities, group exercise and community gatherings — all designed for universal access.
Programming will span every stage of life, including early learning and school-age programs, as well as youth sports in partnership with professional sports teams, such as the Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Los Angeles Kings.
The center would also provide teens with leadership development skills through youth and government and employment opportunities. Fitness programs and nutrition programs would be available for adults.
The new facility would serve the Inglewood community and neighboring residents in Hawthorne and unincorporated Lennox.
The Inglewood YMCA opened in 1941 and operated at 319 E. Kelso St. until its closure in 2009. Three years prior, the City Council entertained a proposal to develop a 35,000-square-foot facility on property owned by the then Inglewood Redevelopment Agency during a special meeting held in January 2006.
The discussion centered on the YMCA acquiring a nearly three-acre parcel on Prairie Avenue between 101st and 102nd streets, which would be developed under a shared development agreement.
The city would be tasked with committing $4 million towards its development. A discussion then ensued regarding who would have control over the hiring and firing of staff.
The development agreement didn’t come to fruition, and the property was subsequently sold to Murphy’s Bowl, which built the Intuit Dome.
Mayor Butts noted that when he left the Inglewood Police Department to become the chief of police in the city of Santa Monica, the YMCA was in existence, and when he returned in 2011 after being elected mayor, it was no longer there.
“I’ve committed to getting $4 million … and I’m trying to do 10%,” said Butts during the Sept. 30 City Council meeting.
“My father was the president of the Crenshaw YMCA on Santa Rosalia,” Butts said. “He was the only Black man to lead a YMCA in the 1950s, so I’m very proud of that.”
The goal is to have the facility open in time for the 2028 Olympics.
Emilie St. John is a freelance journalist covering the areas of Carson, Compton, Inglewood and Willowbrook. Send tips to her at emiliesaintjohn@gmail.com.
