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Volusia‑Flagler YMCA asks Flagler Schools for $3M toward $16M Town Center facility
Summary
At a July 22 school board workshop, Volusia‑Flagler Family YMCA leaders outlined plans for a roughly $16 million, 44,000‑square‑foot facility at Town Center and requested a $3 million contribution from Flagler Schools to secure financing and build an aquatics, fitness and youth program hub.
John Walsh, a Flagler County resident and member of the Volusia‑Flagler Family YMCA regional board, and Chris Silkamp, executive director of the Volusia‑Flagler Family YMCA, told the Flagler County School Board on July 22 that the region’s YMCA plans a $16 million multipurpose facility at Town Center and asked the district to invest $3 million toward construction. The presenters said the site is being donated by the City of Palm Coast and that the YMCA has already secured roughly $2 million in state funds and a naming‑rights pledge they value at about $4 million.
The measures would fund a 44,000‑square‑foot building with a fitness/wellness center, three‑court gym, childcare area and an Olympic‑size, zero‑entry pool with movable bulkheads so the pool can be configured for lessons, practices and meets. "We're not here today looking for a handout. Instead, we seek a mutual beneficial partnership," Walsh said. Silkamp described the pool footprint as roughly 230 feet by 75 feet and estimated the aquatics portion alone at about $6–7 million.
Board members pressed presenters on schedule priority for schools, access for school programming, transportation logistics and the district’s budget constraints. Superintendent Moore and several board members said the district lacks unrestricted general dollars to make a multi‑million dollar capital commitment now and that any commitment would require legal review and further board deliberation. "We would have to look at additional ways if we want to do this," a board member said during discussion of the district’s budget constraints. YMCA representatives said school‑sanctioned teams and programs would have priority access and that the YMCA would negotiate terms such as free access for school‑sponsored activities and discounted memberships for staff and families; they proposed the basic membership tier could start at about $15 with a higher tier for full access.
Silkamp described existing partnerships the YMCA operates in the region (Halifax Health, AdventHealth interest, school districts in Volusia) and said the YMCA can mortgage part of the project and is engaging a third‑party fundraising firm. He said the City of Palm Coast had verbally committed $3 million toward the project, to be paid over two years (roughly $2 million in year one and $1 million in year two), and that the city valued the donated land at about $2 million. District officials noted that any arrangement would need legal review because of restrictions on how school district funds may be spent.
No formal board action was taken. Board members asked staff and legal counsel to review the proposal and return to the board for further discussion. YMCA presenters were invited to return for more detailed negotiations and feasibility work.
The board will consider the matter in future workshops after the district’s counsel reviews funding options, potential ownership structures and operational terms for school access.
