Wesley Chapel's first YMCA opened Monday with more than 6,300 members signed up before the ribbon was cut.

The Mary W. Sierra Family YMCA, a $35 million, two-story facility at 4379 Wellbeing Way, sits on land leased from BayCare Health System next to BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel. The Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA expects the branch to serve more than 40,000 households and create more than 300 jobs in Pasco County, as first reported by Spectrum Bay News 9.

Six years in the making

Tampa YMCA President and CEO Matt Mitchell said the project was six years in the making. More than 25,000 children and roughly 20,000 seniors live within a 10-minute drive of the new branch, he said at the grand opening.

"This YMCA is opening ... with over 6,300 members already, and we're just opening the doors," Mitchell said. "That shows the value and the need for a resource like this in Wesley Chapel."

Pools, courts and a two-story climbing structure

The 49,319-square-foot building includes an aquatic center with lap, teaching and family adventure pools; a gymnasium; group exercise studios; a wellness area with smart strength-training technology; basketball courts with pickleball lines; a turf training area; and a two-story climbing structure in the Stay & Play child care space. Floor-to-ceiling windows wrap the interior, according to Wesley Chapel Biz.

Programs already running include youth sports leagues, swim lessons, summer camps, supervised child watch and chronic disease prevention classes, according to the Tampa YMCA's website.

A shorter drive for Pasco families

Pasco County mom Ashley Horning, who has three children, said she used to drive up to 45 minutes to reach a Tampa YMCA. Her commute is now about 10 minutes.

"Having one be so close is amazing because the child care that they offer, so I can go work out, it's like huge, it's unheard of," Horning said.

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., who represents Florida's 12th Congressional District, attended the grand opening and said in a post on X that the facility will provide opportunities for children, seniors and families across Wesley Chapel. Pasco County Commissioner Seth Weightman said the YMCA will give many local teenagers their first workforce opportunity, the Tampa Bay Business Journal reported.

BayCare and the YMCA plan to jointly offer wellness and medical care services at the site, though details of that partnership have not been released.

The branch's leadership team includes sports director Michael Loftin, a two-decade veteran of youth athletics in the Polk County school system, and family program director Anna Carman, according to Pasco Community.

Charter members who enrolled before opening day locked in a $0 join fee and a five-year rate guarantee. Program schedules and enrollment details are available at tampaymca.org.