The new Grand Traverse Bay YMCA on West Silver Lake Road opens Mon., Sept. 22, at 5:30am, with the first fitness class kicking off at 6am. While the tennis courts, health & fitness center, learn to swim pool and hot tub are ready to go, the eight-lane competitive swim pool will not be complete until late October or early November, says Board President Lynn Schultz.

The old Y facility on the Boardman River will remain open for basketball, pickleball and other court sports as will the Y facility on Woodmere, which houses its gymnastics program and childcare.

Schultz says membership at the new Y is at 1,321, exceeding the board goal of 1,150 by opening day.

The search for a new leader at the facility is also underway, with the first search committee meeting held earlier this week. The board parted ways with longtime CEO Tom Van Deinse in early August. Schultz said the committee expects a new executive director to be in place within six months.

Earlier this month, some members upset about Van Deinse's departure were circulating petitions to require a board meeting with the general membership but Schultz says as of this week the board has not been presented with any such petition or approached about it. It is, however, meeting soon with a subgroup of the membership, but Schultz says that is a private meeting.

The long-awaited and delayed opening of the new Y's doors also marks the beginning of fundraising for Phase 2 of the project – a gym and indoor running track for which the organization needs to raise $3 million.