DesignGroup Completes $21.5 Million YMCA in Morris, Illinois
MORRIS, Ill. — A partnership between the Greater Joliet Area YMCA and Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers in Morris, Illinois, has resulted in a unique $21.5 million YMCA facility designed by architecture firm DesignGroup.
The newly built Morris Hospital YMCA’s strategic collaboration expands the reach of both the YMCA and the hospital, with the building’s architecture reflecting this unified approach to wellness.
“This project was about more than designing a recreational facility,” said Joe Mayer, DesignGroup principal and senior designer. “The facility supports a lifetime continuum of care by creating a space where prevention, wellness, rehabilitation and community connection can happen together in a meaningful way for the local community.”
The 60,523-square-foot facility, which celebrated its first anniversary this year, includes the community’s first new indoor pool, along with fitness spaces, rehabilitation and physical therapy areas, community rooms and a high school-size gymnasium. A new outdoor pavilion is set to open this spring, in advance of the YMCA’s summer camp season.
The site occupies a unique location near Morris Hospital, a local school and a city park, with direct access to a park trail system. As a result, the design prioritizes relationships with surrounding neighborhood amenities, particularly the park to the east of the long rectangular site.
To strengthen that connection, the building and parking areas were positioned toward the west end of the property, allowing for a larger green zone between the facility and the park. That outdoor space supports YMCA-specific amenities such as a soccer field and the pavilion, while improving connectivity between YMCA-managed outdoor areas and city parkland.
Budget constraints required the design team to think strategically about both current needs and long-term growth. The building was proactively planned for future expansion, allowing for efficient growth in priority areas such as community spaces, aquatics facilities and additional hospital programming without disrupting parking or drive lanes constructed during the initial phase. The approach also minimized paving near the building, enhancing access to and views of green spaces.
“It was important to be very efficient with the building’s design decisions in order to maximize the space available now and in the future, all within today’s project budget,” Mayer said. “In the end, we were able to design a large, beautiful facility for the community that has the potential for evolution over the coming years.”
DesignGroup has partnered with Morris Hospital for decades, and the hospital served as a fundamental donor for the YMCA project. Hospital leaders viewed the collaboration as an opportunity to expand beyond acute care and engage more fully in prevention, wellness and rehabilitation services.
Morris Hospital services at the Y include rehabilitation services (cardiac, physical, occupational and speech therapy), orthopedics and cardiology office visits and wellness programs.
“You have traditional YMCA programming directly connected to the rehab and wellness services Morris Hospital brought to the table,” Mayer said. “Together, they’re strengthening how care is delivered in the community.”
Construction began in June 2023, and the facility opened to the public in December 2024. DesignGroup collaborated with Korda on engineering and Narvick Bros. General Contractors on construction management.
The project was made possible through an ambitious capital campaign led by the YMCA, bringing a new level of wellness infrastructure to Morris, a rural community of about 15,000 residents in the southwest Chicago metropolitan area.
“Both the YMCA and Morris Hospital continually strive to serve the evolving needs of their communities,” Mayer said. “This co-location helps ensure they remain strong, trusted leaders in Morris for generations to come.”
source https://zweiglist.com/designgroup-completes-21-5-million-ymca-in-morris-illinois/
تعليقات
إرسال تعليق