The YMCA has announced plans to build a new facility in Canandaigua with the help of a $13.5 million gift from the Sands Family Foundation.
In recognition of that gift, the facility will be named the Sands Family YMCA.
Officials with the ‘Y’ said that the Sands have been supporting their mission for decades, beginning with Marvin Sands, founder of Constellation Brands, and his desire for his employees and their families to have a place to go for childcare and recreation.
“The importance of providing safe outlets for families was something instilled in me by my parents,” said Richard Sands, Executive Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, Constellation Brands. “That is why we knew it was essential to help with creating a modern-day YMCA to serve Canandaigua families and the greater community.”
Officials with the YMCA said that they looked at a number of potential sites for the new facility, and in the end, it was the donation of 13 acres of land from Constellation Brands that resulted in using the site at the corner of North Street and North Bloomfield Road in the city of Canandaigua.
The new 75,000 square foot facility is slated to begin with groundbreaking this spring, and plans to open in the fall of 2023.
The YMCA is using a fundraising campaign to help create the facility in Canandaigua, to raise $6 million in additional contributions.
The YMCA said that it is working with a developer to purchase the current YMCA building on North Main St. to find another use for it.
