On July 31st, more than 100 community leaders, donors, volunteers, and partners gathered to watch dirt move on the Midtown YMCA expansion. It was a celebration two years in the making for the YMCA of Southeastern North Carolina, and the ceremonial start of construction on a $15 million project that will reshape how the Midtown facility serves southern New Hanover County.
But as Thomas Construction Group’s Tony Datena reminded the crowd that morning, the real work had already started long before anyone picked up a shovel. Most people think construction begins the day the first shovel goes into the ground, he told attendees, but this project had been building for months before that.
That building happened around conference tables, not on the jobsite. It happened through listening, asking better questions, and challenging ideas until the plan was right. It happened in the countless decisions, most of them invisible to anyone outside the project team, that shaped how this expansion would come together while keeping the YMCA open and operating for the members who rely on it every day.
Designed by LS3P and built by Thomas, the project reflects months of collaboration between the YMCA, the design team, and the construction team, all working toward a shared vision before construction ever became visible. That foundation of trust and open communication is what allowed the team to plan a project of this scale without disrupting the community it’s meant to serve.
What’s Coming to Midtown
Once complete, the Midtown YMCA expansion will bring:
- A new indoor pool
- A wellness center
- Expanded child care space, doubling the site’s current capacity
- An outdoor Airnasium
- Capacity to serve 6,000 additional members annually
The $15 million project has already raised $11.5 million through philanthropic, corporate, and government partnerships, with fundraising continuing to bring every planned amenity to life.
For Thomas, projects like this one are about more than square footage and schedules. Tony spoke to the team’s commitment to honor the trust the YMCA has placed in them: to build safely, communicate openly, minimize disruption to members, and create a place where children will learn to swim, families will gather, neighbors will connect, and healthier lives will begin.
That’s the shift now underway. Planning has become building, and the same collaboration that got this project to groundbreaking will carry it through construction. Thomas is proud to build this one alongside LS3P and the YMCA of Southeastern North Carolina, and grateful for the trust and partnership that made July 31st possible.
