YMCA Updates Andover Expansion Project

This was provided by the Andover/North Andover YMCA.

On Dec. 14 the Merrimack Valley YMCA hosted its annual meeting. The community came together to celebrate the YMCA’s successes over the past year, including the Andover/North Andover YMCA’s expansion project plans.  

With the project well underway, Merrimack Valley YMCA CEO and President Stephen Ives provided the community with an update on the expansion plans and highlighted its evolution over the past months.

First of Ives, gave thanks to the generosity of early investors in the Andover/North Andover YMCA expansion project: Watts Water Technologies of North Andover, The Stevens Foundation in North Andover, Andover resident Timothy Horne, Andover resident Rosalyn Wood, and the volunteer boards of directors and employees of the Merrimack Valley YMCA. Together they gave $3.5 million in donations. The Service Club of Andover also provided a $50,000 donation for the project.

He described how the project is progressing with the recent selection of the Building Committee, architecture firm, and construction manager. Sasaki Associates is the architecture firm and Harvey Construction is the construction manager/builder.

Ives also described the elements of the building, such as the new wellness center outfitted with latest equipment, the expanded aquatics facility with a 50-meter indoor pool/family recreation pool, the Center for Sports Science designed for individuals to receive physiological testing, the new Early Childhood Development Center, the Youth and Teen Wellness Center, and the Active Healthy Living Center for Older Adults.

Also, Olympic gold medal swimmer Sheila Taormina was the keynote speaker at the meeting. She spoke of her own experiences as an athlete and discussed the YMCA’s role in helping children conquer challenges and achieve their goals.