JAMESTOWN, N.Y. — SUNY Jamestown Community College and the Jamestown Area YMCA publicly celebrated their new partnership Monday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Jamestown Campus Physical Education Complex.
The celebration included tours of the facility and remarks from local dignitaries, community leaders, and representatives from JCC and the YMCA.
The opening of the JCC YMCA branch to YMCA members and JCC faculty, staff, and students in August marked the first phase of planned collaborations on the Jamestown Campus.
The JAY Wellness Center is the centerpiece of the partnership. The $48 million project will bring together community wellness, athletics and youth development in a unified 52,000-square-foot hub on the Jamestown Campus. It is expected to open in 2029.
The Jamestown Area YMCA and JCC named the planned facility by combining the YMCA’s identity with the college’s Jayhawk mascot.
JCC YMCA ribbon cutting ceremony, while the YMCA's John Barber, left,
and JCC's Daniel DeMarte look on.
JCC and the YMCA are also working to renovate space in the Katharine Jackson Carnahan Center to create an early learning childcare center that will be managed by the YMCA and serve up to 102 children. JCC received a $2.9 million grant through the Child Care Capital Construction Funding Program for the project. Renovations are expected to begin in October, with a scheduled opening in September 2027.
Future phases of the partnership include additional renovations to the Physical Education Complex and turf upgrades to JCC’s athletic fields.
JCC President Daniel DeMarte said the shared values of opportunity, wellness and belonging between the college and the YMCA have been the driving force behind the collaboration.
"We believe that strong communities are built when people of all ages have access to the resources they need to learn, grow, connect, and thrive," DeMarte said to the gathering. "Today, those shared values take on a physical form in this facility. This new YMCA branch at JCC represents an investment not only in facilities, but in people. It creates opportunities for students striving to balance academics, work, and personal well-being. It provides additional access to health and wellness resources for employees and community members. It strengthens the connection between education and healthy living. And it helps ensure that our campus remains a vibrant community, a destination for generations to come."
DeMarte and interim Jamestown Area YMCA CEO John Barber acknowledged that neither organization could have achieved a significant community project like this on its own.
"We began seriously thinking about this opportunity late last year," Barber said. "And we saw something bigger than just moving an event or opening another YMCA location. We saw an opportunity for two long-standing community organizations to bring their strengths together, and to make facilities, programs, and resources more accessible to the wider community. Today we're seeing the first step in that vision becoming a reality."
The opening of the JCC YMCA branch allows area residents to continue accessing cardio, strength-training, aquatic, and indoor track facilities as JCC and the YMCA move forward with the next phases of development.
launch of JCC's partnership with the YMCA on the Jamestown Campus.
George Panebianco, president of the Jamestown Area YMCA Board of Directors; Steve Swanson, JCC Foundation and Chautauqua Region Community Foundation board member; Karen Utz, Empire State Development Western New York regional director; Mark Ward, JCC Board of Trustees chairman; Kim Ecklund, mayor of Jamestown; and representatives for Chautauqua County Executive P.J. Wendel, state Sen. George Borrello, and state Assemblyman Andrew Molitor spoke during the ceremony.
Representatives from CJS Architects of Buffalo also attended. The firm was selected to oversee the design and construction of the JAY Wellness Center.
To support the project, Gov. Kathy Hochul provided $3 million in state funding through the Western New York Regional Council Capital Fund-Pro-Housing Communities Capital.
"We are proud to support a project that blends education, childcare, and wellness into what will be one dynamic hub," Utz said. "This $48 million collaboration between Jamestown Area YMCA and SUNY JCC does more than modernize athletic assets. It drives real economic benefits to Chautauqua County. It acts as a catalyst for talent retention, job creation, and long-term vitality. Most importantly, by bringing premium fitness, a future early learning center, and upgraded athletic fields to this campus, we are directly addressing the social drivers of health to build a stronger, healthier, and more resilient Jamestown."
Speaking from Albany, State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. congratulated the Jamestown community on the project.
"SUNY's campuses provide our students with an affordable, excellent education while also serving local communities with access to essential resources and programs," King said. "This partnership between Jamestown Community College and the Jamestown Area YMCA, supported by Governor Kathy Hochul, serves as an example of how organizations and campuses can work together to benefit every part of their communities."
Visit sunyjcc.edu/JAY for more information about the facility and membership opportunities.