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While it's been seeing a steady stream of visitors since mid-January, the Shane Homes YMCA held their grand opening festivities on Thursday. The Rocky Ridge recreational complex is a sprawling and undulating pillow of gold that mimics the wetlands and hills of its natural setting. It's not only architecturally striking but record-breaking: the northwest Calgary facility is the largest YMCA in the world.
The 284,000-square-foot building by GEC Architecture is filled to the brim with health and fitness offerings, including an eight-lane competitive pool, three full-sized gymnasiums, an ice rink, and a climbing wall. But it's not just athletes and fitness buffs that will benefit from the airy interiors — the YMCA also boasts a 3,000-square-foot library, an art making space, several multi-purpose rooms, and a 250-seat theatre. An basketball court, play structures and interpretative trails surround the billowing building, with a skateboard park also expected to join the exhaustive list of amenities this summer.
Developer Shane Homes contributed $3.5 million to the project, the biggest donation in the history of the local YMCA. The bulk of the $192 million facility was funded by the City in response to a dire need for recreational amenities in Calgary's northwest edges.
The City is investing a total of $480 million on four facilities across Calgary, with the Remington YMCA and Great Plains Recreation facility celebrating their openings in 2016. The Seton facility is expected to be ready for action in the first few months of 2019.
Nearly 10,000 people have signed up as new members to the YMCA since the doors swung open last month.
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