{"id":1991,"date":"2026-06-22T14:35:20","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T14:35:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=1991"},"modified":"2026-06-22T14:35:20","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T14:35:20","slug":"the-morrison-ymca-is-closing-in-ballantyne-heres-what-families-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=1991","title":{"rendered":"The Morrison YMCA is closing in Ballantyne. Here\u2019s what families need to know"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you spent this week trying to wrap your head around the news that a YMCA branch in south Charlotte<\/a> is going away, you\u2019re not alone. The Morrison Family YMCA<\/a> on Bryant Farms Road was sold to a Charlotte church<\/a> for $42.5 million.<\/p>\n

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The deal is expected to close in summer 2027, and after that, the doors close for good.<\/p>\n

Until then, Morrison stays open. Childcare, sports, arts, aquatics \u2014 all of it continues over the next year. But the announcement has stunned families across Ballantyne<\/a>, sparked a fast-growing online petition<\/a>, and raised pointed questions about how the decision came together<\/a> and what happens next for the 4,200 households that call Morrison home.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a breakdown of what we know, drawn from three Charlotte Observer reports.<\/p>\n

The YMCA of Greater Charlotte\u2019s board approved a purchase and sale agreement with Moments of Hope Church, a nondenominational evangelical congregation that plans to convert the 87,000-square-foot facility into its new home. The church intends to expand its ministry through sports programming and community education on the 22-acre site.<\/p>\n

YMCA leaders say the sale is the cornerstone of a $100 million, multi-year strategic plan to modernize aging facilities across the region. Several YMCA branches haven\u2019t seen major capital improvements in nearly 20 years.<\/p>\n

Proceeds from Morrison are earmarked for upgrades at the Johnston YMCA in NoDa, the Stratford Richardson YMCA, the Harris YMCA and the Hemby Program Center. Sara\u2019s YMCA in Ballantyne could also see expansion.<\/p>\n

For Morrison members, that means a shift. After the sale closes, families will have access to nearby branches: Sara\u2019s YMCA, Brace Family YMCA, Hemby Program Center and Harris YMCA.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are approaching this transition with care and respect for the relationships built there,\u201d Sue Glass, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Charlotte, said in a statement. \u201cWhile this decision represents a significant change, it also creates an opportunity to strengthen how we serve communities across our region in the years ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Morrison branch employs 17 full-time and 273 part-time staff. The YMCA said it\u2019s working to relocate employees within the network where possible.<\/p>\n

The Morrison Advisory Board will continue meeting through the closure to help guide programming and the handoff.<\/p>\n

The reaction from some members was swift, raw and public. Within hours of the announcement, the Morrison Family YMCA\u2019s Facebook and Instagram pages filled with roughly 200 comments \u2014 most of them some mix of grief, anger and disbelief.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat an utter disappointment<\/a> and quite frankly an insult,\u201d Facebook user Jamie Cooke wrote. \u201cThis facility is run by an amazing staff, and now where do they turn? We are in this facility nearly every day of the week and are absolutely appalled by the fact any sane person could arrive at this decision.\u201d<\/p>\n

For some families, Morrison isn\u2019t a backup option \u2014 it\u2019s the option.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is incredibly sad and disappointing! My son and I have practically lived at this Y (between gym, camps, Forest Hill church, pool, and childcare),\u201d Instagram user Katie Jordan wrote. \u201cIt\u2019s convenient and my only option. I will not be keeping our membership after this next year because all other locations are not convenient for my family.\u201d<\/p>\n

Others described Morrison as a lifeline during hard seasons of parenting.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a Morrison YMCA employee, and as a mom who came to Charlotte without the family and village I had back home in West Virginia, I am heartbroken,\u201d Alexandria Frazier posted. She said the Y \u201cgave me friendships, purpose, and a sense of grounding in a city that once felt so far from everything familiar.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A Change.org petition titled \u201cSave the Morrison Family YMCA,\u201d created by an organizer listed as \u201cBallantyne Resident,\u201d is asking the Y to pause the sale, explore alternatives and hold public forums before any final decision. It crossed 1,000 signatures the day of the announcement and kept climbing from there. As of Sunday, June 21, there were over 3,700 signatures.<\/p>\n

The anger isn\u2019t only about losing the building. It\u2019s about how the decision landed. \u201cI have volunteered at and visited this YMCA with my entire family for the last 15 years and for a decision like this to have already been made without having an open dialogue with the members and volunteers is unbelievable,\u201d Instagram user James Neubauer wrote.<\/p>\n

Glass acknowledged the pain.<\/p>\n

\u201cMorrison has been more than a place to work out, it has been a community where friendships were formed, families gathered and people supported one another through every season of life,\u201d she said. \u201cWe understand why this decision feels deeply personal.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sale didn\u2019t materialize overnight. The purchase and sale agreement was signed last Tuesday afternoon and was more than a year in the making, with a familiar Charlotte name in the middle of it: Graeme \u201cGreg\u201d Keith Jr., co-founder and CEO of The Keith Corp.<\/a><\/p>\n

Keith\u2019s family already has a YMCA branch named for them \u2014 the Keith Family YMCA in University City \u2014 recognizing decades of volunteer and philanthropic support. He also co-founded Moments of Hope Church with longtime friend Pastor David Chadwick and serves as vice chairman of its elder board.<\/p>\n

After looking at roughly 200 properties over seven years, Keith said the Morrison site emerged as the answer.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really special to see how God provides,\u201d Keith said in a video the church posted.<\/a> \u201cHe does it in His time and His way, which is very seldom our time and our way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some members questioned the process. \u201cThe sudden sale of such a pillar of our community, with no warning or meaningful discussion with the people the YMCA is supposed to serve, is deeply disappointing,\u201d Morrison member Jason Forrester told the Observer.<\/p>\n

Chadwick said he understands the loss families are feeling, but emphasized that the decision to sell rested with the YMCA\u2019s board.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe understand that people don\u2019t like change,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd we get the fact that there\u2019s a sense of loss and grieving. And I hope again that we\u2019ll be good neighbors, and they\u2019ll still be able to come on the property and use it in different ways.\u201d<\/p>\n

Keith pushed back on suggestions the deal was fast-tracked or an inside arrangement, calling it an \u201carm\u2019s-length\u201d transaction.<\/p>\n

Moments of Hope, which has grown to about 1,200 members since 2019, won\u2019t move in until next year. Until then, full YMCA programming continues \u2014 and Morrison families have one more year to figure out what comes next.<\/p>\n

This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence and using our own originally reported, written and published content. It was reviewed and edited by our journalists. To learn more about how The Charlotte Observer is using AI in our newsroom, see our policy here<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n

Read more Traffic stop for faulty turn signal leads to stockpile of moonshine, NC police say<\/a><\/p>\n

This story was originally published June 22, 2026 at 5:06 AM.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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