MINNEAPOLIS — The YWCA Minneapolis will undergo a radical restructuring and shift its focus to social justice, according to its leadership.
The organization will close its fitness, gym and pool operations in Uptown and downtown Minneapolis and "pivot" its capital spending to support relief for youth and families, it said in a release.
“These changes will provide crucial relief for the children and youth we serve as well as their families," said Shelley Carthen Watson, president and CEO of the organization in a release.
The gyms and fitness spaces will permanently close on Nov. 1 and the organization is planning to pursue the sale of those buildings.
According to a spokesperson for the organization, the change will result in 85 total layoffs.
"YWCA Minneapolis will need to take the tough step of saying farewell to 12 full-time and 73 part-time employees who serve in the fitness and maintenance departments," said the spokesperson.
He added that members of the board of directors and senior leadership team will provide "transition assistance" to those who are laid off.
The YWCA will focus on higher impact programming, including early childhood education centers in Minneapolis and St. Paul, and girls, youth and racial justice programs, as well as reimagining the Midtown location as a community hub, according to the release.
"The strategic pivot comes at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened existing disparities in the Twin Cities community, and the long-term consequences, especially for children and youth, are becoming more apparent," said the organization in the release.
The organization will also seek an alternative downtown Minneapolis or downtown-adjacent space for its Downtown Early Childhood Education Center.
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