2 Chicago area YMCA buildings, West Loop headquarters up for sale

Two long-shuttered YMCA facilities and the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago's West Loop headquarters have gone up for sale, the YMCA confirmed Wednesday.

The High Ridge YMCA, at 2424 W. Touhy Ave. in the Chicago community of West Ridge, or West Rogers Park, has been placed on the market, according to YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago. The Lattof YMCA, at 303 E. Northwest Hwy. in Des Plaines, is also up for sale.

The YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago headquarters at 1030 W. Van Buren St. only opened in 2016. But it is now up for sale too.

"As part of our ongoing commitment to strengthening the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago's impact and ensuring long-term sustainability, we recently launched an initiative to review and optimize our real estate portfolio," YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago spokesman Jack Segal said in a statement. "Our goals are to enhance the member experience, improve operational efficiency, increase sustainability, and ensure our physical spaces reflect the evolving needs of the neighborhoods, communities, and people we serve."

The High Ridge YMCA, which dated back to 1952, closed its doors in January 2021. The YMCA said even before the COVID-19 pandemic that forced its facilities into dormancy, the High Ridge had been operating at a loss for several years.

In 2023, the High Ridge YMCA building was pressed back into use as a shelter for asylum seekers. Federal funding was also awarded for the renovation of the High Ridge Y, but the YMCA determined that the cost of fully renovating the building "would significantly exceed the amount of the award, making it unfeasible to move forward independently," Segal wrote.

As to what might happen to the High Ridge site, Segal wrote that many possibilities are under consideration, from a new partnership that maintains a YMCA presence to an outright sale.

The YMCA said it has not accessed or used the funds that were intended to be used to renovate the High Ridge. Segal wrote that those funds could be put toward a new development on the YMCA plot.

"To maximize community impact while remaining consistent with the intent of the funding, we would consider applying the funds toward a redevelopment of the site in partnership with a third party that meets the funding criteria, should such an opportunity emerge through the sale process," Segal wrote.

The High Ridge YMCA featured a swimming pool, a gymnasium for basketball and other sports, workout facilities, and meeting and party rooms, among other accommodations. Neighbors pushed for years to save the YMCA and hoped to see it reopen with the federal funding.

The Lattof YMCA in Des Plaines has been closed even longer than the High Ridge, having shuttered along with two other Chicago-area YMCAs during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2020. The Lattof has been sitting vacant ever since.

The City of Des Plaines will consider purchasing the Lattof YMCA property at a City Council meeting coming up on Monday, May 4, Segal wrote.

According to multiple published reports, the Nicolas Family of Companies is seeking to transform the old YMCA into a modern community sports facility in partnership with the City of Des Plaines.

The sprawling Lattof opened in 1961. Its amenities included three swimming pools, gymnasium facilities, racquetball courts, and a vast indoor soccer field.

Meanwhile, the nearly 60,000 square-foot building that houses the Chicago YMCA headquarters in the West Loop was purchased in 2013 and opened in 2016, according to published reports. Before that, the Chicago YMCA headquarters had been housed in the Lawson YMCA on the Near North Side, which the YMCA sold and which has since been revitalized as affordable housing.

Crain's Chicago Business noted that the West Loop building had been home to the Jane Addams Hull House Association, which ceased operations in 2012.

Segal wrote that the YMCA's "operating model has evolved" since the West Loop headquarters opened.

"We're placing greater emphasis on serving communities directly and being closer to our members, where the needs are the greatest," Segal wrote. "We also currently occupy less than half of the building — this move better aligns our footprint with how we operate today."

The Y is evaluating other space options for its headquarters staff and hopes to remain in the central part of Chicago, Segal wrote.

Two other YMCAs have also closed and have gone on to be torn down in recent years.

The Kroehler Family YMCA in Naperville and the Leaning Tower YMCA in Niles both closed along with the Lattof in May 2020. The residential hotel section of the Leaning Tower YMCA remained open for a while after recreational facilities closed, but it too had shut down by 2021.

The Kroehler was demolished in 2022, while the Leaning Tower sat vacant for five years before it finally faced the wrecking ball last year. The Leaning Tower replica itself was not torn down. 

The Village of Niles purchased the six-and-a-half-acre Leaning Tower YMCA property for $2.1 million in March 2024, and plans to transform it into a mixed-use development with dining, retail, and entertainment. The village's plan includes creating a pedestrian-friendly plaza.

YMCAs have been growing fewer in number in Chicago all through the past 20 years. The Austin YMCA facility on Chicago's West Side closed in 2012 and was sold to a housing group, while the New City YMCA at Clybourn Avenue and Halsted Street closed in 2007 and has since been replaced by a shopping and entertainment development.

However, YMCAs continue to operate throughout the Chicago area, and Segal noted that just last week, the YMCA opened a new facility at the Sankofa Village Wellness Center in West Garfield Park.