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Success Stories

Long-Awaited YMCA Opens in Cane Bay

Stephanie Bittiker
Community Facilities
Cane Bay YMCA

The long-awaited Cane Bay YMCA opened Saturday, April 27, 2019.  The 54,000 square foot facility is the largest facility of its kind in the Lowcountry.  The building and outdoor recreation fields span 34 of the 69 acres donated by Cane Bay Plantation.  “There are no other YMCA’s like this in the country that are 69 acres,” said Paul Stoney, President and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Charleston and Cane Bay Family YMCA.

The facility features a full basketball court with running track, tennis courts along with baseball and multi-purpose fields.    Other state of the art amenities, include a weight and exercise room, spinning room, group fitness and child care areas. The large gymnasium, in which the floors are lined for games of basketball, pickleball and volleyball, features a stage for special performances and events.  The gymnasium can also double as a banquet hall for over 400 people.  The facility also boasts a pavilion, including a wet bar, that can be rented for weddings, corporate retreats and other special events.  The facility is also home to an eight-lane, 25-meter swimming pool features a zero-depth entry and an ADA-approved lift chair.  Both features will allow people with disabilities to access the pool area. 

One unique aspect of the Cane Bay YMCA is that they offer a branch library inside the facility.  The YMCA partnered with the Berkeley County Library system to house a branch library inside the facility, which is the only YMCA in the nation to offer a library on site.

The $28 million-dollar project was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development (RD) Agency, with CresCom Bank providing the construction loan. Farmers and Merchants Bank also partnered with USDA to provide a $2 million loan towards the project.  In addition to the $21 million-dollar loan, RD awarded a $78,000 grant to enable the YMCA to purchase industrial maintenance equipment for the maintenance of the fields, outdoor pavilion, ponds, and recreational area. 

“As part of our mission at Rural Development we strive to expand our infrastructure and increase our partnerships with innovative measures across rural America, which is what we have here today,” said, Michele Cardwell, South Carolina Rural Development Community Programs Director.

Obligation Amount:
$2,091,270
Year(s) of Obligation:
Congressional District:
  • South Carolina: District 1
  • South Carolina: District 6