Supervisors hear plans for new Hernando YMCA

Officials are in the process of fundraising for a second facility in DeSoto County

Officials of the YMCA of Memphis and the Mid-South unveiled to the DeSoto County Board of Supervisors their plans to build a new YMCA facility in Hernando.  

The $13 million, 40,000-square foot facility could be a reality in 2023, said Jason Inskeep, Senior Vice President of New Business/Development for the YMCA. Efforts are now underway with local support to raise the $13 million in funds for construction of the facility.  Hernando aldermen Andrew Miller and “Doc” Harris, Jr. were with the YMCA officials, with Miller saying the city is “100 percent behind this.”  

The fundraising push has already gotten a boost with the promise of a $5 million matching grant from the Maddox Foundation, which Inskeep revealed to the board during his presentation Monday morning. 

“We are running hard with this,” Inskeep said. “We need everyone’s help. That’s why you’ll continue to see me and others speaking in front of leaders like yourselves (supervisors) in the community.” 

Inskeep said the effort “has a long way to go,” but is excited about the Hernando YMCA being a reality. It would be similar to the Olive Branch YMCA, featuring a Wellness Center, Group Exercise Studios, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, including a warm water therapy pool and cold water lap pool. There would also be an outdoor water splash pad, after-school and youth program space, a state-of-the-art food prep kitchen, flexible gathering spaces for people of all ages and backgrounds to connect, and classroom space for health education and community programs.  

There has been no specific location set yet for the building, Inskeep said, but he added the “desirable space” is on land near the McIngvale Road/I-269 interchange, the Gatorade Fieldhouse and Hernando Hills Elementary. Inskeep said the facility would take up between 7-10 acres of land.  

YMCA information states that its programs have benefited about 1,000 DeSoto County youngsters with its before and after-school programs at 25 schools in the county, beyond the programs offered at the Olive Branch YMCA.   

The hand was not out immediately asking for money and no checks were written for the YMCA project at Monday’s meeting, but Inskeep asked to be able to present a more-detailed presentation for that purpose in the future.  

“My hope is that the board would allow me to follow up and and send a proposal on how you can make a tremendous impact alongside us,” Inskeep said. “We’re going to drive this but we’re going to need the support of the entire community.”