What is happening to the Maryland Farms YMCA?

The YMCA of Middle Tennessee has announced plans to explore the possible sale of the Maryland Farms YMCA property as part of a broader “One Brentwood” capital reinvestment strategy for the local community. The Y plans to list the 17-acre Maryland Farms site in the coming weeks.

Does this mean the Maryland Farms Y is closing soon?

No. Should the Y accept an offer to purchase the Maryland Farms site, the plan is to keep the facility open until the expansion of the Brentwood Y is complete. The entire process from start to finish could take up to two years, during which time the Maryland Farms Y will remain open. New members are encouraged to join, and current members may continue to visit the facility as they normally would.

How long do you expect the sales process to take?

As a first step in its One Brentwood reinvestment plan, the Y has engaged with the real estate broker Cushman & Wakefield to list the Maryland Farms property. Once the property goes on the market, the Y expects it could take several months to consider the highest and best offers from potential buyers and to move through the contracting and real estate closing phases if it decides to accept an offer.

What will the Y do with the sales proceeds?

Should the Y accept an offer for the Maryland Farms property, it intends to reinvest sales proceeds in a major renovation and expansion of the Brentwood Family YMCA on Concord Road.

What will be happening to the Brentwood Y on Concord Road?

When completed, the reinvestment plan would result in a larger, state-of-the-art Brentwood family center at the Concord Road site with:

• Expanded and enhanced wellness and group exercise areas
• Transformed youth spaces including Y-PLAY child watch (infants to 6 years) and a new Youth Activity Center (ages 7-11)
• Enhanced teen center to accommodate educational programs including STEM, arts and music, and to support outreach programs like Y-CAP in collaboration with the juvenile courts and other youth-serving agencies
• Improved accessibility for families, seniors and people with diverse abilities who come to the Y from throughout Middle Tennessee
• Enhanced outdoor aquatics facility
• Multi-purpose spaces to conduct regional programs like After Breast Cancer, Full Circle, Weight Loss and small support groups, which operate in collaboration with more than 50 community partners
• Enhanced youth skate park
• Additional parking

What is happening to the Tennis Center?

Unfortunately, it is not financially feasible to include tennis facilities in the renovation plans for the new Brentwood Y. Should the Maryland Farms property be sold and operations fully consolidated at the Brentwood Y following its renovation, the Maryland Farms facility and tennis center would permanently close. 

We hope the community will step up to fill the demand for tennis in Williamson County and would like to collaborate with any private or public entities through a transition if desired. 

Who can I contact to talk to the Y about its tennis programming plans?

Individuals who wish to further discuss interest in collaboration may reach out by completing this online form.

What about the outreach programs the Maryland Farms Y currently offers?

The Y remains committed to serving the Brentwood community, including through programs such as After Breast Cancer, Full Circle and Williamson County Y-CAP. The After Breast Cancer program will continue to operate at the Maryland Farms Y through 2022. If and when the facility is sold and ceases operations, the ABC program will be transferred to the Brentwood Y on Concord Road.

Why are you putting the Maryland Farms property up for sale?

After reviewing a variety of options to make capital improvements to the Maryland Farms and Brentwood facilities, a joint volunteer-and-staff task force made the determination that combining both operations into one larger and significantly improved facility on Concord Road was the best and most sustainable way for the Y to meet the long-term needs of the larger Brentwood community.

What other options were considered?

Before arriving at the decision to combine operations, the Y considered a range of options including renovating both facilities at their existing sites and building a new Maryland Farms facility at its existing site or another location. The estimated cost to build a new Maryland Farms facility alone is approximately $30 million. Cost estimates approached the $40 million mark to do the level of renovations necessary to prepare both facilities to meet the needs of a future generation of YMCA members. That’s a figure that exceeds the organization’s capacity for capital investment.

Are you doing this because of the COVID-19 pandemic?

While the decision to combine operations was made prior to COVID-19, the pandemic and its economic impact has only reinforced the need for the Y to operate as efficiently as possible and make the most of its limited resources.

What will happen to the staff at the Maryland Farms Y?

Maryland Farms Y staff will continue to work during the duration of the sales and renovation process, which is expected to take up to two years. If and when the Y moves closer to ceasing operations at Maryland Farms, the Y plans to offer “stay pay” incentives. Staff who wish to continue working for the Y at another location will also be given priority for any available openings at that time.

I’m interested in the property. Who can I contact about it?

Anyone interested in purchasing the Maryland Farms property may contact either Charlie Gibson or Crews Johnston of Cushman & Wakefield, the Y’s real estate broker, at one of the following emails:
charlie.gibson@cushwake.com
crews.johnston@cushwake.com

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