Work could begin in February on a project that will see the building of a new three-story YMCA center in downtown Phoenix.
The project is being spearheaded by the ownership of the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury basketball teams and will replace the existing Lincoln Family Downtown YMCA located at 350 N. 1st Avenue.
Built in 1951, the Lincoln facility was closed last summer, with several reports indicating that the structure had “reached the end of its useful life.”
Plans to demolish that seven-story structure are subject to a city-imposed 60-day hold, which is set to expire on November 20.
In an interview with the Phoenix Business Journal, Mat Ishbia, owner of the Suns and Mercury teams, said the new 55,000-square-foot YMCA structure will be a place where “children, families, and neighborhoods have opportunities to thrive.”
To be funded through the Phoenix Suns/Phoenix Mercury Foundation, the project will include several basketball courts, a café, and designated space for YMCA programs.
If all goes according to plans, construction of the new facility is expected to be completed sometime in 2029.
Originally known as the Young Men’s Christian Association and founded in 1844, the YMCA today has more than 12,000 branches worldwide providing recreational space, housing, and skills classes.
November 5, 2026
By Garry Boulard
Photo courtesy of Unsplash
