CHARLOTTE — As the Morrison Family YMCA moves toward a planned closure in summer 2027 following the sale of the property, one family is seeking answers about the future of a memorial that has stood at the branch for years. The memorial has become a focal point for some community members concerned about what the closure will mean for the site’s legacy.
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The Morrison YMCA is expected to be sold to Moments of Hope Church for $42.5 million.
The Giblin family built a bandshell 18 years ago in honor of their daughter, Rachel Giblin, who died when she was 15.
It’s become a special space for them and the community. Now, they worry about its future.
Her parents, Tom and Becky Giblin, are longtime members of the Morrison YMCA in Ballantyne. Tom Giblin sat on the board.
They say the community helped them cope when they lost Rachel.
The Y’s longtime CEO, Andy Calhoun, said it mirrored The Y’s mission of community and inclusiveness and supported constructing a bandshell in her memory.
The bandshell that sits on the edge of the Morrison Y’s property took 200 volunteers to create.
Everything from this bench to Rachel’s words engraved in concrete.
“It reminds me of Rachel, and it reminds me of the Y coming together on her behalf,” said Tom Giblin.
“Most of the time, see at least one person sitting here, or maybe two, and they might be talking to each other … and it really fills my spirits,” said Becky Giblin.
The Giblins said the potential sale of Morrison YMCA doesn’t seem real because they have been so grateful to The Y and don’t understand how it could leave.
“To give it up is destructive,” the father said.
“I never thought when we built this bandshell that there was ever the possibility it wouldn’t be here,” his wife said.
They hope the Morrison Y not only stays for them but for thousands of other families that rely on it.
“We would really like reconsideration, another look to see if there’s another way,” Becky Giblin said.
There are also other memorials and spaces named after other people in the community.
A spokesperson with the YMCA said, “We are working directly with those impacted donors and families to thoughtfully determine the most appropriate path forward for each recognition opportunity.”
Conversations will take place on an individual basis, officials said.
A protest on Sunday at the YMCA was postponed.