Huntington YMCA Breaks Ground On New Healthy Living Center

Representatives from the YMCA of Long Island, Huntington Supervisor Frank Petrone, third from right, and New York State officials broke ground on Oct. 20 to build a Healthy Living Center at the Huntington YMCA location. Photo Courtesy of YMCA of Long Island

By Janee Law
jlaw@longislandergroup.com

The Huntington YMCA broke ground last Friday to begin construction on a state-of-the-art Healthy Living Center.

“Our Healthy Living Center is a tremendous step forward, allowing us the capacity to achieve this goal and provide our community with the programs it needs,” said Anne Brigis, president and CEO of the YMCA of Long Island. “We have listened intently to the needs of the Huntington community, and we’re excited to begin building our Healthy Living Center into a gathering place for individuals to grow, learn and lead healthy lives.”

The center is in accordance with the New York State health and education initiative that was passed by Governor Andrew Cuomo earlier this year. The initiative calls for community-based healthcare services and preventative care.

The nearly 30,000-square-foot center will be a standalone extension of the Huntington YMCA to amplify fitness and preventative health programs that focus on chronic disease prevention and recovery. These programs include Moving for Better Balance, a fall prevention program; LIVESTRONG at the YMCA, a cancer survivor program; YMCA Diabetes Prevention Program; Senior Wellness Walks; Pre-Teen and Teen Drop-in Center; Summer Camp; and Community Connections.

Huntington Supervisor Frank Petrone said the YMCA is an integral part of the Huntington community, which services 16,000 residents each year and partners with the town on many initiatives.

“The Healthy Living Center will allow the ‘Y’ to expand programs helping people of all ages, especially in areas such as diabetes prevention, cancer recovery and fitness for those with arthritis,” Petrone said. “It is an exciting extension of the activities that have served Town residents for many years.”

Construction for the two-story project will be led by Huntington-based Hoffman Grayson Architects.

The center's lower level stretches to 17,703 square feet while the upper level is another 11,877 square feet. The facility will feature a 7,500-square-foot gym complete with a suspended running track, cycling studios, multi-purpose adult fitness rooms and childcare.

YMCA officials said that the cost and construction timeline are yet to be finalized.

According to a previous report in The Long-Islander, the cost for the project was estimated to be between $8 million and $9 million, and would be funded through donations.