{"id":2280,"date":"2026-06-27T11:03:28","date_gmt":"2026-06-27T11:03:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=2280"},"modified":"2026-06-27T11:03:28","modified_gmt":"2026-06-27T11:03:28","slug":"ballantyne-backlash-against-morrison-ymca-sale-protest-set-for-south-charlotte","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=2280","title":{"rendered":"Ballantyne backlash against Morrison YMCA sale: Protest set for south Charlotte"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Ballantyne backlash against the $42.5 million sale of the Morrison Family YMCA<\/a> is growing.<\/p>\n

Read more Why Kemba Walker is excited about Hornets\u2019 future, 2026 NBA Draft additions<\/a><\/p>\n

The latest display of public anger<\/a> involves plans posted on social media for a protest next month<\/a> at the Morrison Family YMCA in south Charlotte with a poster saying: \u201cOur Community. Our YMCA. Our Decision.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a surprise move last week, the YMCA of Greater Charlotte announced it was selling the Morrison complex<\/a> to Moments of Hope Church<\/a>, led by pastor David Chadwick. The deal is expected to be completed by next summer, at which point the Morrison YMCA will close.<\/p>\n

Following that June 17 announcement, area residents and Morrison YMCA members quickly jumped on social media to voice their disapproval on the Morrison Family YMCA Facebook page<\/a>, and Instagram<\/a>. A petition was created the same day on Change.org<\/a> to \u201cSave the Morrison Family YMCA\u201d that now has over 4,600 signatures.<\/p>\n

The online protest post encourages people to bring their families and signs to the Ballantyne YMCA at Bryant Farms Road.at noon July 12. \u201cMorrison YMCA Not for Sale!\u201d the online poster reads. \u201cOur YMCA builds stronger kids, healthier families, and a stronger community.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt belongs to us. Not a church.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWait, are we having a protest???!!! one person said Thursday on the Facebook post about the protest. \u201cI am sooooo there!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMorrison is a pillar that makes Ballantyne as great as it is,\u201d another person said.<\/p>\n

Laurie Thames Pace, who shared the protest poster online Thursday, has been director of group exercises for the YMCA of Greater Charlotte since 2017, her bio shows on Facebook.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s unclear who is organizing the protest. Pace did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.<\/p>\n

A YMCA spokesperson could not immediately be reached for comment Friday evening.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also another project to try to stop the sale of the Morrison YMCA led by JD Hopper, according to the Facebook page he created June 24 called Save Morrison YMCA<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe\u2019re now getting organized in a serious way,\u201d Hopper said on his personal Facebook page. \u201cA professional organizer has joined our effort, and we\u2019ve begun meeting to discuss next steps, including community outreach, rallies, peaceful protests, and, if necessary, a potential boycott.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are committed to doing everything we can to keep this community cornerstone from being sold.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hopper did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.<\/p>\n

The Morrison YMCA will remain operational until the sale closes. The branch opened 25 years ago and serves about 4,200 households<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The YMCA\u2019s Board of Directors approved the purchase and sale agreement of the Morrison branch as a cornerstone of its multi-year strategic plan, which includes a $100-million investment across its network of centers. Several facilities, some of which have not seen capital improvements in nearly 20 years, are scheduled for upgrades.<\/p>\n

Chadwick and other Moments of Hope leaders have \u201csquirreled away\u201d over half of the $42.5 million sale price, he said during a recording of last Sunday\u2019s service<\/a> from Providence Square Shopping Center in south Charlotte. The church has about a year to raise the rest of the funds, around $20 million.<\/p>\n

Forest Hill Church<\/a>, which has met at the Morrison YMCA for 15 years and had funded the branch\u2019s expansion, will also be displaced when Chadwick\u2019s church takes over the property. Chadwick was a former pastor of Forest Hill. Forest Hill lead pastor Doc Hanberry said the church was \u201cblindsided\u201d by the YMCA\u2019s decision to sell.<\/p>\n

Chadwick, who left Forest Hill in 2019 under contentious circumstances<\/a>, has said the Morrison YMCA deal is not over a personal vendetta.<\/p>\n

\u201dWe\u2019re not going to spend that kind of money for David to have personal vengeance,\u201d he said during Sunday\u2019s service.<\/p>\n

Chadwick then addressed any Ballantyne residents listening to Sunday\u2019s service: \u201cYou might want to direct your comments if you\u2019re really angry about this more to the Y than to us, because they\u2019re the ones who sold it to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Charlotte data center\u2019s expansion plan no longer includes saving historic facade<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ballantyne residents plan a July 12 protest in south Charlotte, after YMCA of Greater Charlotte agreed to sell Morrison YMCA to a church for $42.5 million.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1851,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2280","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nBallantyne backlash against Morrison YMCA sale: Protest set for south Charlotte - \u0421harlotte Relocation Guide<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=2280\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ballantyne backlash against Morrison YMCA sale: Protest set for south Charlotte - 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