The executive director of the new Spring Grove YMCA hopes that anyone walking through the doors for the first time, or returning to a building they used to know as a school or parks and recreation headquarters, feels ready to grow, learn, and meet new people through the programs this space now makes possible. This project was never about square footage or renovated rooms. It was about turning a building that had sat empty for years into a gathering and wellness place where an entire community could show up.
A Building Waiting for Its Purpose
The former Spring Grove school building had been mostly quiet for several years. A senior center and the local parks and recreation department were using part of it, but the rest sat unused and full of untapped potential.
That started to change when the YMCA of the Roses saw an opportunity. Spring Grove had just one other daycare provider in the community, and neighbors in need of a fitness center had to drive elsewhere to find one. Once the Y recognized what the building could become, and how the space could serve multiple purposes, the direction of the project became clear.
Before drawing a single wall, CORE Design Group started by scanning the building as it existed, generating a comprehensive 3D point cloud model. This is a common starting point for large-scale renovation projects that allows subsequent decisions to be grounded in detailed physical reality instead of guesswork.
From there, the project came down to two needs the community felt every day: reliable childcare and a wellness space Spring Grove had lacked. Both became the heart of the new program.
One Building, Six Partners, One Community
What makes this project different from a typical renovation is the wide range of user groups under one roof. Today, the building is home to:
- The YMCA, with a wellness center, group fitness studios, childcare rooms, summer camp, and child watch
- The Spring Grove Area School District, with administrative offices on site
- Windy Hill Senior Center, one of the largest senior centers in York County
- Spring Grove Alliance Church, with community lounges and gathering places, and a renovated auditorium complete with a new sound booth and AV system
- TLA (Training Leaders through Athletics), teaching students faith-based, physical, and leadership skills alongside the church
- New Hope Ministries, running a food bank and community-needs services
A shared vestibule, lobby, and welcome desk greet everyone who walks in, whichever program brought them there. The common areas were built to move. A meeting room and open gathering space can swiftly pivot from a training session to game night to a community meeting, sometimes all in the same day.
Built to Feel Good, Not Just Function Well
Some of the smallest choices matter the most. The wellness center’s cardio and strength equipment sits along a row of windows, so anyone working out gets natural light instead of a blank wall, a simple decision meant to help people feel good as they work toward feeling well.
That same care shows up throughout the building. Every room, from the training spaces to the senior center to the food bank, was designed to feel like its own unique part of a cohesive whole.
“I hope when people come to the YMCA for the first time, or they’re returning back to this facility, that they’re excited to be part of something bigger, and get involved in their community,” shares Kate King, executive director of the Spring Grove YMCA.
A Community Hub, Built Together
Wagman Construction carried out the renovation with several tenants still operating in the building throughout construction, which meant careful phasing, off-hours work, and close coordination every step of the way. Behind the scenes, the project included a new fire suppression system, partial roof replacement, and full mechanical and electrical upgrades, all in service of a building meant to run for decades to come.
But the real story of this project isn’t in the mechanical rooms. It’s in what a shared building can do for a small community when the people using it are given the room to do their work well.
“Projects like this remind us why we love this work,” said Nick Dreisbach, Principal at CORE Design Group. “It’s not just about renovating a building. Great design has the power to strengthen communities when, as architects, we get to listen to what they truly need and bring that vision to life.”
That’s the Spring Grove YMCA: one building, six partners, and finally, a place built around what the community actually needs.
