The West Suburban YMCA plans to open a second Newton location on Wells Avenue this fall after the longstanding nonprofit received a $3 million donation to support the property’s purchase, the organization announced Monday.
The new location, at the site of a former Boston Sports Clubs gym at 135 Wells Ave., will allow the Y to offer additional recreational facilities and opportunities for youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility, the nonprofit said in a statement.
“Opening a second West Suburban YMCA location in Newton not only will provide an opportunity for individuals and families to participate in a range of outstanding programming, but will strengthen our community by bringing together people of all ages and backgrounds,” said Aaron Goldman, the vice chairman of the West Suburban YMCA board of directors.
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The Wells Avenue property includes a nearly 61,000-square-foot building that is already equipped with a four-lane swimming pool, fitness area, indoor track, and a multipurpose field house for sports and activities, the statement said.
It is scheduled to open in the fall after renovations are finished, according to the statement.
The YMCA also will continue operations out of its current Newton Corner facility at 276 Church St., where the Y has been located since 1914. Members will be able to use both facilities, according to the statement.
The $3 million donation, which is the largest in the organization’s history, came from a Newton family “for whom the Y has been central to their lives,” the statement said.
“The goal for the gift is to inspire others to support the Y’s mission to increase the capacity of its high-quality youth programs, in particular through basketball, to integrate social-emotional learning, mentorship and character-building for children from all communities and backgrounds,” the statement said.
MassDevelopment is issuing a tax-exempt bond on behalf of the Y to support the acquisition of the Wells Avenue property, and financing has been provided by Dedham Savings, the statement said.
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The second Y facility is expected to create 100 new positions.
The nonprofit West Suburban YMCA has been operating in the Newton community for more than 140 years, the statement said. Last year, the organization distributed nearly $500,000 in financial assistance for membership, programs, and local summer camps.
The organization serves the communities of Newton, Watertown, Belmont, Weston, and Wellesley, according to its website. It runs day summer camps at Camp Pikati in Newton and Camp Chickami in Wayland, and its overnight Camp Frank A. Day in East Brookfield, the statement said.
The Y currently has about 7,500 members, according to a spokesman. Another 4,000 people from the community who are not members participate in camps, child care, sports, and aquatics each year.
The Y’s Church Street location has an affordable housing program with 28 single-occupancy units serving formerly homeless people, the spokesman said.
Jack Fucci, the Y’s president and chief executive, said the organization is looking forward to expanding its collaboration with strategic partners that include the City of Newton, academic institutions, and health care organizations.
“Having been located for over a century in Newton Corner, the northeasterly most village in the city, we are excited to expand our mission to a second branch where our array of programs and recreational assets will be convenient and accessible to members who live throughout the city of Newton and beyond,” Fucci said in the statement.
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Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller said the second Y facility in the city will expand access to the organization’s social, recreational, and educational opportunities for residents.
“The Y is a valued community partner in Newton, providing care during the school year and in the summer so parents can navigate new working models,” Fuller said, “enabling members to manage their health more effectively, and partnering with our community to feed and care for our most vulnerable residents before, during, and after the pandemic.”
John Hilliard can be reached at john.hilliard@globe.com.