A Ballantyne coalition fighting the $42.5 million sale of the Morrison Family YMCA has launched a website and gathered more than 6,700 petition signatures. The group has also scheduled two community events in late October and early November.

The Save Morrison YMCA Coalition announced that saveourymca.org went live Saturday as the group shifts from street protests to a structured legal and financial campaign, the Charlotte Observer reported.

Henry Santos, spokesman for the coalition, said the group is rebranding its message toward a professional business and legal alternative to stop the deal.

"There are so many things they didn't look at when they went to do this, and it's going to create a real problem," Santos said.

The YMCA of Greater Charlotte announced on June 17 that it had signed a purchase and sale agreement with Moments of Hope Church, which made an unsolicited offer for the 22-acre campus at 9405 Bryant Farms Road. The deal is expected to close next summer.

Sue Glass, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Charlotte, has said the sale was driven by financial pressures. By 2024, the organization's annual revenue had fallen to $74 million, more than 25% below pre-pandemic levels, while expenses hit $85.5 million, leaving an $11.4 million deficit, according to the Observer. The YMCA also identified more than $100 million in needed facility repairs across its network.

The sale will also displace a branch of Forest Hill Church, which met at the Morrison Y for 15 years. Forest Hill said it was blindsided.

Three strategies to stop the sale

The coalition is pursuing three tracks, according to the Observer.

A legal team is examining whether the YMCA broke promises to donors or rules about land use, with the goal of taking findings to a judge. A second effort focuses on public outreach, with volunteers collecting petition signatures at stores, churches and other area YMCAs. The third track involves working with local government leaders and private investors to form a Community Land Trust and submit a competing bid for the property.

According to the coalition's website, the sale is scheduled to close in June 2027, but the group says it needs to present a tangible offer to the YMCA board by year's end.

The Morrison YMCA serves roughly 4,200 member households and is the fifth-largest center in the YMCA's 14-location Charlotte-area network, according to the Observer. The coalition's website states the facility serves more than 12,000 individual users.

A 26-minute documentary featuring interviews with affected parents and community members is also planned for the website, along with fact-based counterarguments about the sale's impact, according to Santos.

Upcoming events

The coalition is planning a Fall Fest Community Gathering on Sunday, Oct. 25, and a Community Fun Walk on Sunday, Nov. 1. Venues for both events have not been announced. Details will be posted at saveourymca.org/upcoming-events.