By Sean P. Ray | Managing Editor
ALLEGHENY CITY CENTRAL — If one were to look through the Allegheny YMCA as it stands right now, it would be a little hard to believe that the building is a little over halfway through its $23 million renovation. Floors, walls and ceilings remain torn up, uncovered holes are visible and a lack of air conditioning leads to stifling heat in the summer sun.
However, halfway through is where the project currently stands, and the progress has staff at the Y brimming with excitement as they get closer and closer to their grand reopening.
“I think it’s great for our members, great for our residents and great for this area and the community,” said Duane Fegley, facility director at the Allegheny YMCA. “It’s been long overdue and I’m happy to be a part of it.”
Kicking off in January of this year, the Allegheny YMCA’s remodeling is expected to finish in January 2026, bringing with it a host of upgrades for the public, YMCA members and residents at the building. The Northside Chronicle was given an exclusive tour of the construction zone, offering a sneak peek into the planned new amenities the Y will feature once finished.
Although they may be hard to spot now amidst the dust, tools and parts scattered around the work area now, already the seeds for many of the Y’s improvements can be seen. Two new elevator shafts are under construction, both about twice the size of the building’s previous elevator, which was a tight fit for two adults at the best of times.
One of the new elevators will be designed for use by visitors and members to the Allegheny Y, while the other is intended for the residents.
Work has also begun on setting up what will become the childcare center, which will be a new program for the Allegheny YMCA. Designed for infants through preschool-age children, the center will allow people to drop off their kids anytime between 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. This will allow Northside parents to have a safe place to leave their very young kids while, for example, going to work.
Michele Charmello, the new executive director of the Allegheny YMCA, said the need for childcare was one of the biggest requests from members of the public for the renovation.
“I think there are (other childcare facilities) scattered throughout the community, but there’s a great need that the Y is going to meet once we open the doors for childcare,” she said.
The Allegheny YMCA plans to provide breakfast, lunch and snacks to children at their childcare center as well.
The Y will also have summer camps and other programs for older children. While the childcare center is not expected to be operating yet when the YMCA reopens — mainly to allow for the permitting process on operating a childcare program to finish up — it will be open for both YMCA members and non-members, though potentially with a different fee structure for non-members. Staff anticipate the childcare center being up and running by spring of 2026.
Allegheny YMCA staff confirmed that its pool will return once the building reopens, and with a few improvements of its own. Whereas the pool area was previously only accessible through stairs, a handicap-accessible ramp will be added.
New lining will also be installed at the pool, as the feature is “close to 100 years old,” according to Fegley.
The resident rooms will see some of the most major improvements under the renovation, including the addition of air conditioning, something the resident areas didn’t have beforehand.
Whereas the resident floors previously had only a single restroom area each, two will be available on each floor after the renovation is complete. In addition, while the previous re- strooms were fairly open, including having communal showers, the new ones will have improved privacy, such as shower stalls, to make residents feel more comfortable.
WiFi will also be available on each residential floor, and the occupants will have the ability to get cable television for their rooms. A proper lounge room is also being added, as the Y previously converted one of its resident rooms into a makeshift lounge.
These additions do mean the YMCA’s resident capacity will decrease, going from 105 rooms to 89. However, Y staff said the facility only had around 30 residents before the renovations, meaning no existing residents are getting kicked out as a result of the changes.
Not everything will be entirely new once the building is complete. The Y hopes to recreate some of the existing hand-painted signage in the same style, preserving pieces of the structure’s history. The building’s iconic light-up sign is also remaining, though with new LED lights.
Allegheny YMCA’s new Executive Director Michele Charmello, left, smiles with Facility Director Duane Fegley in the construction area of the Y. Charmello got her position in June, mid-way through the renovation project. Photo by Sean P. Ray[/caption]
In addition, some previously covered up features, such as windows and arches, have been rediscovered during the course of the construction and may be incorporated into the new iteration of the building.
In fact, Fegley confirmed that the Y has frequently discovered it had more space available than thought for certain rooms once old walls were removed.
Fegley has a long history with the Allegheny Y. His dad was a head of facilities with the organization, primarily working at the Allegheny YMCA during his 33 years on the job. As such, Fegley has fond memories of visiting as a kid, and he’s happy to see the building he loves getting a new look.
“It makes me feel good knowing that they’re finally modernizing here,” he said.
Charmello asked that residents keep in contact with the Y during the renovations and especially asked for people to volunteer.
“We’re doing the renovations with and for the community, and we love to have community involvement,” she said.
“We can do this alone but we don’t want to do it alone,” she added later.
Charmello herself is a change to the Allegheny YMCA during the renovation period. She became executive director on June 9, stepping into the construction project right in the midst of it.
“Everyone’s welcoming, everyone’s helpful,” she said. “Everyone’s trying to get me caught up to speed as quickly as possible.”
She has felt the excitement from the community for the renovations. Charmello said one of the first questions she’s asked when meeting the public is ‘when are we opening?’
A native to New Jersey, Charmelo previously worked in childcare and with people with developmental disabilities. However, she worked at a YMCA while in graduate school and “fell in love with it then.” When she saw the opportunity to work at the Allegheny Y, she “leapt” at the chance to get “back to the Y.”
“It’s a wonderful organization to work for and it’s been what I’ve been looking for since I moved here 10 years ago.”
And while jumping in during the renovation has its challenges, she’s happy to do her part.
“The Allegheny YMCA is a cornerstone of this neighborhood and I’m just proud to be leading it into its next chapter,” she said.
For more information about the Allegheny YMCA, visit pittsburghymca.org/locations/allegheny-ymca
