The YMCA of Dane County officially broke ground on its new $58 million Dane County West Branch YMCA in Fitchburg on Tuesday.
The new branch, designed by the Kahler Slater architectural firm, will replace the 58-year-old Lussier Family West YMCA in Madison.
“It’s so critical for us to expand our reach,” said YMCA of Dane County CEO Mark Westover, in an interview with In Business Madison earlier this fall. The new location “will position us centrally to serve the needs of Fitchburg and Verona and the Madison metro.”
The new facility will be built at McKee Road and Spoke Drive near the AMC theater and feature an aquatics area, multi-court gymnasium and a two-story fitness center with an indoor walking and running track.
The branch will also have a childcare center, an Access Community Health Centers clinic and outdoor spaces for programming and events.
“This new project will allow clinical services and community wellness programs to work side by side, reinforcing each other, and eliminating the barriers that too often prevent people from getting the care they need,” said Dr. Ken Loving, CEO of
Access Community Health Centers, in a statement to In Business Madison. He added that Access primarily serves people of low income, and 37,000 of its patients lack health insurance, so their discount program helps make care affordable.
The project is scheduled for completion in early 2028.
