Local
Fitchburg YMCA and health clinic project breaks ground, targeting 2028 opening
A new 97,000-square-foot YMCA and Access Community Health clinic is planned for Fitchburg, with services aimed at families facing barriers to health care, child care and recreation. The $58 million facility is expected to open in spring 2028.
Construction began Tuesday, Oct. 13, on a new YMCA and community health clinic at 6036 Spoke Drive in Fitchburg. The 97,000-square-foot facility is expected to open in spring 2028, replacing the Lussier Family West YMCA on Medical Circle in Madison, about two miles north.
The $58 million project brings the YMCA of Dane County and Access Community Health Centers together in a partnership the organizations say will expand access to health care, fitness, child care and community programs. Funding includes private donations, proceeds from the sale of the current West YMCA and federal New Markets Tax Credits.
Access plans to serve about 5,000 patients at the new clinic, offering medical, dental, integrated behavioral health and low-cost pharmacy services. Like Access’ other clinics, it will use sliding-scale pricing. The location will also pilot physical therapy, a service Access CEO Ken Loving said can be difficult for patients with physically demanding jobs to obtain.
Loving said Fitchburg is a priority because of economic barriers to care: about 40% of city residents have incomes at or below 200% of the federal poverty line. Access serves more than 37,000 patients overall; Loving said 20% are uninsured and 90% have incomes below that threshold.
The YMCA plans to add 100 child-care spaces, including infant care and before- and after-school care for children in kindergarten. YMCA of Dane County President and CEO Mark Westover said Fitchburg has a shortage of child-care slots, with more than three children needing care for every available space. Mayor Julia Arata-Fratta said affordable, reliable care can be essential for working families.
The two-story facility will include two gymnasiums, an indoor walking track, two pools and two fitness studios. One pool will have zero-depth entry, designed to make it easier for young children and families to use. Plans also include a central community area called the Exchange, with a commercial kitchen for cooking and nutrition classes and space for gatherings and programming.
Westover said the organizations hope the site will be more than a place people visit for a workout. The YMCA’s affordable fitness programs, he said, can help people stay healthy, while the shared facility creates opportunities for residents to connect.
The YMCA of Dane County currently operates three facilities: the West YMCA in Madison, the East YMCA at 711 Cottage Grove Road and the Sun Prairie YMCA at 1470 Don Simon Drive.