Brown Family YMCA | First Coast YMCA

Stronger For Our Community

At the Y, we share a purpose to strengthen community. Every day, we are transforming lives by empowering young people, improving health and well-being and inspiring action.

The Ponte Vedra Beach YMCA has been delivering on that promise for more than 20 years. Our building is a tool that helps us strengthen the community. However, in this location we are challenged with limited space, an aging infrastructure and barriers to access.

To ensure our Y is serving today’s generation with an eye to the next, we’re embarking on a multimillion dollar expansion and renovation project to positively impact our community into the future.

The Ponte Vedra Beach YMCA is now the Brown Family YMCA.

Thanks to a generous gift from the Brown Family Foundation, the YMCA in Ponte Vedra Beach is now the Brown Family YMCA. Here’s what else is coming:

New Airnasium with Basketball Court, Rock Climbing Wall and Turf Training Area
New Pickleball Courts with Gazebo
New Playground Area
New Family Locker Rooms
New State-of-the-Art Equipment and Technology
Exterior Facade Renovations
Overall Facility Update

Help Us Transform Lives

Gifts of any amount will make a difference. You can make a contribution online or contact District Executive Director Charlie Chacos about naming opportunities.
Make a Donation

Why It Matters

By investing in our building, we are investing in more opportunities to develop the potential of children and teens, give our active older adults a place to belong and connect, provide families with quality time together and establish ourselves as a total wellness resource in an ever-evolving health and fitness landscape. The Y is committed to building a healthier, stronger First Coast overall. Expanding Ys in growing communities allows us to serve more people which strengthens the stability of our overall operations so we can provide greater access to Y programs and services to those living in under-resourced areas.

Our goal with the Stronger For Our Community campaign and the Brown Family YMCA is for this Y to grow its reach and impact on the community by having the best facilities, programs and resources. We see this happening through:

Expanding and upgrading the facility to provide more space with state of the art equipment
Offering best-in-class programs that address a wider range of health and performance goals
Serving the health and wellness needs of more families in the community
Providing children a safe and fun place to be active and pursue their health and education interests.

We are excited to join our community in helping this Y become a leading facility in its ability to provide access to and serve the needs of families.

-Brown Family Foundation

Help Us Transform Lives

Gifts of any amount will make a difference. You can make a contribution online or contact District Executive Director Charlie Chacos about naming opportunities.
Make a Donation

New Amenities and Updates

Airnasium
The airnasium will provide an outdoor multi-purpose space designed for open-air sports training, group exercise, group and personal training, community space and a multitude of other programs.

Facility Upgrades
Renovating our basketball gymnasium, locker rooms and bathrooms, group exercise and cycle studios will bring our facility up to today’s standards. Other upgrades include adding new state-of-the-art equipment and technology, installing new floor, painting walls, addressing lighting issues and more. Family and accessible locker rooms will ensure that the Y is truly welcome to all.

KidZone
An upgraded KidZone and new outdoor playground will help us provide the highest quality and safest possible care for some of the most treasured members of our families. Our children are the cornerstone of everything we do and giving them a safe space to learn, grow and thrive is essential for them to develop their full potential.

Aquatics Center
The aquatics center pool is not only the setting for creating summer memories, its also where children learn the life-saving skill of swimming, where adaptive wellness participants rebuild their strength, where athletes strive to be their best, and where active older adults improve their health with low-impact exercise.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the total amount being raised?
$5.3 million

How much money has already been raised?
$2.8 million

What is the current phase of the capital campaign?
As of October 25, we are in the public phase of the campaign.

Is the name of the Y changing?
Yes, thanks to a generous gift from the Brown Family Foundation the Y will be named the Brown Family YMCA. The change is effective October 25, 2022.

How much did the Browns donate?
The Browns do not wish to disclose the amount of their gift.

Who else has donated?
Other donations will be made public later.

What is the timeline for the campaign/project?
An estimated completion date has not been finalized but the work will be done in phases beginning in November.

What is the need? Why is this campaign/project underway?
Our facility is a tool that helps us deliver on our mission to strengthen the community. However, in this location we are challenged with limited space, an aging infrastructure and barriers to access. To ensure our Y is serving today’s generation with an eye to the next, we need purposefully designed spaces to offer the types of programs and services necessary to help children and adults learn, grow, and thrive.

When was the Y built in Ponte Vedra Beach and how many people does it serve?
Built in 1999, the 43,000 square-foot branch in Ponte Vedra Beach serves 2,300 family and senior member units averaging over 16,000 visits per month.

Why are you making improvements to the Y in Ponte Vedra Beach and not in other areas?
The Y is committed to building a healthier, stronger First Coast for all. We are always looking for opportunities to upgrade our facilities to better serve the needs of our neighbors. Expanding Ys in growing communities, including the Brown Family YMCA in Ponte Vedra Beach and the Winston Family YMCA in Riverside, allows us to serve more people which strengthens the stability of our overall operations so we can provide greater access to Y programs and services to those living in under-resourced communities.

How can the community get involved?
Gifts of any amount will make a difference. You can make a contribution online or contact District Executive Director Charlie Chacos about naming opportunities.

What will be new at the Brown Family YMCA?

New Airnasium for basketball, group exercise, turf training and more plus a rock climbing wall
New pickleball courts with gazebo
Expanded KidZone with new outdoor playground
New family locker rooms
Wellness upgrade with state-of-the-art equipment and technology
Exterior façade and roof renovations
Pool Resurfacing with renovated locker rooms
Overall facility update

When will construction begin?
Our improvements begin in November with a new roof and gymnasium upgrade. The construction timeline for the remainder of the projects has not been finalized.

Will the Y be open during construction?
Yes, construction will be done in phases so the Y can remain open.

What is an airnasium?
The airnasium is an 8,600 sq. ft. metal roof covered structure with outdoor multipurpose courts. Ours will include a basketball court, rock climbing wall and a 1,000 sq. ft. turf training area.

Will the airnaisum have the same floor as the airnasium at Nocatee.
No, the floor will be different from the airnasium at the Nocatee Y.

Will there still be indoor pickleball?
Yes, this option will be available but the schedule will be adjusted to accommodate the outdoor spaces as well.