GREAT MILLS, Md. – St. Mary’s County marked a milestone on Nov. 12, 2024, with the groundbreaking ceremony for a new 65,000-square-foot YMCA facility in Great Mills. Spearheaded by local advocates and county leaders, the project is set to offer a diverse range of recreational and community services, addressing the needs of residents across all age groups. The facility, which has been in the planning stages for nearly a decade, is anticipated to open in January 2026.
The YMCA’s arrival in St. Mary’s County began in 2015 when Mike Hewitt, Vice-President, Commissioners of St. Mary’s County, representing District 2, initially envisioned a community center in Lexington Park. “That was the focus,” Hewitt said, noting that he first saw an artist’s rendering of a proposed center in the Recreation and Parks director’s office shortly after he took office in 2014. The concept evolved over the years, eventually leading to a partnership with YMCA of the Chesapeake.
Securing the YMCA was a long journey, including feasibility studies, public-private negotiations, and funding initiatives. “It took about a year and a half to finally get the CEO of the Washington area YMCA on the phone,” Hewitt shared with The BayNet. After several delays, he was eventually directed to Robbie Gill from YMCA of the Chesapeake, whose willingness to explore expanding across the Chesapeake Bay helped move the project forward.
While the project faced a few hurdles over the years, Hewitt remained dedicated to making it a reality. “It’s been such a long, long struggle with a lot of hurdles and a lot of obstacles and a lot of people who just told me that it was not the right place to be,” he said. “And I said, yes it is.”
Local contractors will build the YMCA, ensuring community involvement in the construction process. The facility will feature amenities including an indoor pool for aqua therapy, basketball courts, indoor pickleball courts, and a second-floor walking track. Additionally, the YMCA will take over the adjacent Great Mills outdoor pool, which will eventually operate seasonally, providing increased access and reducing maintenance costs for the county.
“What I’m most excited about,” Hewitt remarked, “is the opportunity for youth—and not just youth, but seniors.” He emphasized that the YMCA’s programming will be tailored to local needs, offering free childcare for members during exercise activities, free swimming lessons for fifth graders, and scholarship-based memberships starting as low as one dollar a month for qualifying families.
The project aims to foster community engagement and support Lexington Park’s growth. “My personal belief is… the more we can do to help the whole Lexington Park area, the better it’s going to be for everybody,” Hewitt said, expressing pride that the project is moving forward during his final term in office.
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Hey that’s great. How about one in the north part of the county. You know insted of another gas station or grocery store.
Amen
I’ve been to some very nice YMCA’s, and some really garbage YMCA’s. Ultimately, it boils down to location. I think this facility would have better served a different part of the county. Lexington Park needs to be cleaned up before adding new facilities that will be destroyed by the same clientele. Be prepared for stabbings and shooting complaints at the YMCA.
We need a other middle school or high school. Not this YMCA!!!!!!! Waste of taxes payer money. Our money needs to go to school not this. This place going to track homeless people and drug addict. And more shooting. This doesn’t need to be built. People in this country having a hard time paying for bills now. And then you will raise our land taxes up more for something we don’t need. Just waste of our hard working money. Thanks for wasting it. Don’t need.
I also find it hard to be happy about this. We have been asking for a YMCA since the 90s possibly earlier. The county commissioner came to my highchool, Leonardtown, in like 2002 and told us that there wasn’t any money for a YMCA yet there has always been plenty of money for the base, plenty of money to install the hundredth stop light on 235, plenty of money to slowly build FDR Blvd over the years. Now it’s finally being built and it’s going in Lexington Park?!?! What about all the space across from Wildewood where the RC theater is? Rumor was that is was going there and that would have been great because it’s much more centrally located.