GREAT MILLS, Md. — The long-anticipated St. Mary’s County Family YMCA beside Great Mills High School is taking visible shape this fall as steel framing now stretches across the 11-acre construction site.
Photos taken in early October 2025 show beams, block walls, and roof trusses defining the future 65,000-square-foot recreation and wellness center — a project that has been years in planning and fundraising. Crews have poured the main concrete floor slab, erected interior masonry, and begun enclosing sections of the building’s west side.
County officials say construction remains on track for a 2026 opening, funded through county bonds, state grants, and a $4.5 million capital campaign. “This facility represents years of collaboration to bring equitable health access to Southern Maryland,” YMCA leaders said in a project update earlier this year.
The $23 million facility will feature a gymnasium, fitness center, group exercise studios, childcare area, and an eight-lane indoor pool large enough for high-school-level swim meets.
Once complete, the Great Mills YMCA is expected to include:
- A full-size basketball gymnasium with indoor pickleball courts
- A wellness and weight-training center covering more than 8,000 square feet
- Group fitness and yoga studios for classes and community programs
- An eight-lane indoor swimming pool with spectator seating
- A child-watch and youth activity center for family members during workouts
- Multi-purpose rooms for senior, teen, and after-school programs
- A walking and running track encircling the upper level
The Great Mills location was chosen to serve southern St. Mary’s County, an area long without a public indoor recreation space. The county approved a 50-year land lease for the YMCA in 2022 and later authorized an open-space conversion to accommodate construction adjacent to the existing pool.
Ground was officially broken in 2024 during a community celebration attended by county and state officials, as covered in earlier reporting by The BayNet.
Commissioner Scott Ostrow told The BayNet the YMCA project is a cornerstone in the county’s community development efforts.
“The new YMCA is one of the most exciting community projects we’ve seen in years — it represents a major investment in our residents’ health, wellness, and future,” Ostrow said. “From youth programs and senior fitness to family recreation and community gathering space, the YMCA will serve as a cornerstone for engagement and opportunity in southern St. Mary’s County. The county remains in close coordination with project leadership, and construction continues to move forward on schedule.”
He added that “together, the St. Mary’s Square renovation and YMCA projects are strong examples of how public and private investment can work hand-in-hand to keep our county moving forward.”
During the Sept. 26 Commissioners meeting, Commissioner Mike Hewitt said the YMCA Capital Campaign Committee recently toured the site and found construction “moving along very well,” with hopes to have the structure under roof within six weeks.
“They were putting up the steel — it’s like building an erector set,” Hewitt said. “Many people have reached out wanting to contribute, and the campaign has been going pretty well. The committee plans to launch a GoFundMe page for anyone who wants to make small donations. It’s a positive step forward.”
Hewitt also addressed recent online criticism claiming the project was “his YMCA.” He clarified that the decision to move forward came from a four-vote majority of the 2022 Board of County Commissioners — himself, Commissioner Eric Colvin, Commissioner President Randy Guy, and Former Commissioner John O’Connor. Former Commissioner Todd Morgan abstained.
“It’s going to be a county YMCA,” Hewitt said. “This is something that belongs to everyone — it’s a good thing for the whole county.”
Hewitt, who has worked on bringing a YMCA to St. Mary’s for nearly nine years, said his vision includes eventually establishing three YMCA facilities countywide — one in Great Mills, one in the northern area near the Charlotte Hall senior center, and another serving the central region.
“I actually believe one in the northern part of the county would do far better than anywhere else because there’s such a limited number of resources,” he said. “But that’s all of ours. That’s going to be everybody’s YMCA.”
The Great Mills complex will connect directly to the existing outdoor pool and offer joint programs with St. Mary’s County Public Schools, including swimming lessons for fifth-graders. Temporary fencing separates the work zone from the high-school campus, with heavy equipment accessing the site from Great Mills Road.
YMCA leaders report that local and state funding, combined with community donations, have kept the project financially stable despite earlier delays. Crews from KRM Construction are now focused on completing structural steel work before winter weather sets in.
The project’s financial backing follows county budget approvals that earmarked funding for community fitness, youth programs, and senior services.
From a reporter’s view, the site finally looks less like a blueprint and more like a landmark in progress — a red-framed promise of what community leaders have called a “health and hope hub” for Great Mills. If momentum holds, by this time next year interior walls, mechanical systems, and pool installations will be underway, signaling the final stretch toward opening day.
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What are the rates for membership at the YMCA going to be?
Whats to become of the existing public pool at Great Mills?
8 lanes for swim teams. What about the folks who do water aerobics and lap swimmers? Instead of a PR puff piece, how about these sort of details?
Will they charge extra for the parking lot drug deals, stabbings, and shootings? No thanks!