A green light from Saint John council for an expansion at the YMCA Glenn Carpenter Centre.
Councillors unanimously gave final approval to the required rezoning application on Monday.
Work is currently underway on a $3.5-million project to expand the popular centre and its offerings on Foster Thurston Drive.
It includes a new one-storey multi-purpose building that would house an after-school program for 90 children.
“There’s a huge waitlist in our facilities for after-school programming,” Shilo Boucher, president and CEO of the YMCA of Southwestern New Brunswick, told council during a public hearing in early April.
Having additional after-school spaces at the Glenn Carpenter means the YMCA will be able to open more child-care spaces at its Millidgeville Community Centre.
RELATED: $3.5M expansion of YMCA Glenn Carpenter Centre underway
Boucher said the expansion will not only allow for additional after-school programming but also the ability to offer more community programming.
The facility will be able to open its doors year-round rather than just 10 weeks a year for summer day camps.
“Thinking about the YMCA in general, last year we served 44,000 people, and in this facility being expanded, we’re expecting to serve an additional 5,000 people,” said Boucher.
A rendering of the planned expansion at the Glenn Carpenter Centre. Image: Submitted/YMCA of Southwestern New Brunswick
