The Thomas Davis Branch of the YMCA opened on what is now Elvis Presley Boulevard in 1959.

Decades later, Whitehaven is on the verge of getting a new state-of-the-art YMCA.

The YMCA of Memphis & the Mid-South is nearly finished with fundraising for the $12 million project, which will have a preschool learning center, a full-service wellness center and an indoor pool.

“It’s been really a five-year journey to raise the funds and we’re close to the finish line. We’re hopeful that we’ll get there by the end of the year,” said Anthony Norris, a Y senior vice president and chief development officer.

The Y has raised about $8.5 million, with a portion of the projected funded through the federal New Market Credit Tax Credit Program, Norris said.

The program incentivizes investment, growth and development in destressed communities and helps move forward projects that might not otherwise be able to secure funding, he said.

Other monies have come from the city of Memphis and Shelby County government.

The YMCA tore down the original 1959 building with its fitness center and swimming pool several years ago, Norris said.

Since then, the newer 1990s-era building was used for fitness until the coronavirus pandemic struck earlier this year. All Y facilities shut down, but after the reopening, there wasn’t enough space in Whitehaven for both fitness and the “greater needs” created by COVID, he said.

The Y became a feeding site for Shelby County Schools and provided childcare for essential workers.

Next, it became a virtual learning site for students once SCS resumed under an all-virtual model.

The new Y will be worth the wait, said Michael Harris, president of the Rotary Club of Whitehaven and interim executive director of the Greater Whitehaven Economic Redevelopment Corp.

“So many people have supported this effort; so many people are excited about it. It’s going to be such a benefit for the community that the wait is worth it,” Harris said.

The YMCA is an asset for Whitehaven, he said.

“It will provide opportunities for learning, for fun. The children of our community, they need to have somewhere to go. So many people, they learn how to swim at the Y. The different group activities they put on, the different programs, childcare. This is a necessity for our community,” Harris said.

Memphis firm Self+Tucker Architects will design the new facility, Norris said.

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Construction is expected to begin during the first quarter of 2021 and should take 12-14 months, he said.

The project has taken a while, but the Y remains faithful to Whitehaven, which is historically one of its busiest centers, Norris said.

“The commitment to Whitehaven has always been there. As Whitehaven changed, the Y has changed with it, but there’s a commitment to the community,” he said.