CHARLOTTE — Nearly 100 residents and community members attended a town hall meeting with local elected leaders to address efforts to stop the $42.5 million sale of the Morrison YMCA in Ballantyne.
The YMCA agreed in June to sell the facility to Moments of Hope Church after receiving an unsolicited $42.5 million offer.
YMCA leadership cited financial reasons for the decision, prompting neighbors and members of the “Save the Morrison YMCA” group to launch petition drives and organize opposition.
Mike Schaut, a member of the Morrison YMCA, spoke about the personal importance of the facility to community members.
“This is home for us; this is where we come together as a family, and a lot of us know each other because of the Y,” Schaut said.
Becky Roller, an employee at the Morrison YMCA, also emphasized the role the location plays for local residents.
“Morrison is a place where friends and families gather to create relationships, mutual support, as well as physical activity,” Roller said.
Several area officials attended the gathering, including Mecklenburg County Commissioner Susan Rodriguez-McDowell, Board of County Commissioners Chairman Mark Jerrell, City Council members Anna Loudon and Ed Driggs, and State Rep. Laura Budd.
Rodriguez-McDowell expressed her view on the sale during the discussions. “So it’s a crummy deal. It’s a crummy deal for the county; I believe it’s crummy for all of you,” Rodriguez-McDowell said.
Elected leaders noted uncertainty regarding whether they have any authority to stop the transaction. Driggs explained the guidance he received regarding municipal involvement.
“I talked to the city attorney, and they said be careful before you exert influence of the city on the board in this matter because we are not a party to that transaction,” Driggs said.
The group of neighbors organizing against the sale stated they hope to assemble a counteroffer to purchase the property themselves. Opposition members are also considering potential legal action.
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