Officials break ground on Bemidji YMCA; fundraising continues

BEMIDJI — Bemidji is closer to becoming a new home for the YMCA.

City leaders and more than 100 others celebrated with a ceremonial groundbreaking in Bemidji’s rail corridor Tuesday, Aug 18.

At the ceremony, it was announced the center will be named the Sanford YMCA in honor of a $10 million gift from Sanford Health of Northern Minnesota.

"Today's groundbreaking is the culmination of years of vision, persistence and partnership," stated Dr. Jason Caron, president and CEO of Sanford Bemidji, in a news release.

"Community leaders came together around a shared vision to restore the heart of the community and create a place where families can gather, children can play and people of all ages can stay active throughout the year."

YMCA of the Northern Sky is based in Fargo but will oversee Bemidji’s Y.

Contributed

/

YMCA of Northern Sky

"We are celebrating in Fargo 140 years of the YMCA being in service to this community. And nationally, we're celebrating 175 years of service to the nation,” said Steve Smith, president and CEO of YMCA of the Northern Sky in a phone interview.

"We're using a tagline right now that is ‘no place like this place,’ and I cannot wait that this place is in Bemidji.”

The Y will be built in Bemidji’s rail corridor — a long-blighted property once owned by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway.

The economic development nonprofit Greater Bemidji sought out developers for the rail corridor project for years, as city staffers worked with the St. Paul Port Authority on a cleanup plan to address the site’s contaminated soils.

Along with the Y, a new hotel and event center are also part of the planned development in the former brownfield site.

“We're so thankful to Sanford and the Nielsen Foundation because they were true believers early on that this was needed,” Smith said.

Fundraising for Bemidji’s YMCA is still ongoing, with construction expected to begin in earnest during spring 2027.

"The construction of this project will immediately change the landscape of downtown Bemidji with visually appealing buildings and green space," states Greater Bemidji's webpage promoting the YMCA project.

"This investment will also serve as a catalyst for adjacent future projects, including mixed-use development for new housing, restaurants and shops."

The YMCA is expected to open in Fall 2028.