The New Canaan YMCA has applied for a building permit application that, if approved, will allow the South Avenue facility to start work on a widely anticipated renovation and expansion.
The project will see demolition of an existing family pool and pool building, interior renovations of the existing building locker rooms, a new café and office spaces, as a new pool building and family/recreation pools are built, according to an application filed Sept. 22 with the town.
In all, 14,350 square feet of new construction is planned, the application said.
The figure is down more than 40 percent from the 24,617 net increase in square footage that the Y had been seeking when the Planning & Zoning Commission approved its project (on 33 conditions) 18 months ago. The original plan had called for a new aquatics center for its competitive swimming or “Valles” pool, and the Y had explored “bubbling” the Waveny Pool through one winter in order to accommodate displaced competitive swimmers. The bubbling idea later was abandoned and the Y website says the Valles pool will remain open for the 2015-16 season.
It isn’t clear what changed since the Y’s original vision was made public. Y officials could not be reached for comment.
Its website says the Y had raised some $11 million for the project as of last December, with an overall goal of $14 million in fundraising, and that the project’s overall cost will come to about $20 million. A groundbreaking ceremony is planned for Nov. 1 and the Y plans to break ground physically the following month, with construction lasting an estimated 18 months, according to its website.
The total remodeled area for the Y will be 26,768 square feet, according to the building permit application, with 4,500 square feet of demolition.
A site plan for the project shows a proposed addition off of the south side of the existing building. Residents of the “South of Y” neighborhood during public meetings and hearings before P&Z and the Board of Education had voiced concerns about the project, including safety during construction with large vehicles in the area, the Y’s proposed expanding footprint, impact on real estate values and what appeared to be an evolution to a regional facility. The Y cites its communication with neighbors in a FAQ on its site.