Somerville Residents Refuse To Sell Property To YMCA: Report

SOMERVILLE, MA — Plans for a large-scale YMCA expansion have been hindered by one steadfast homeowner, according to a report from The Boston Globe.

YMCA leadership has been working on making the 80,000 square-foot facility at 101 Highland Ave. four times bigger with a large-scale renovation for multiple years. However, a home owned by the Topouzoglou family in the center of its proposed location has refused to sell, even as the offers from the nonprofit organization have increased.

The two-story house sits at the corner of Highland Avenue and School Street. The elderly couple immigrated from Greece and have resided in the home for more than 40 years. According to their children, their parents have no plans of moving out anytime soon, no matter how much the YMCA increases its offer. The current offer is reportedly $2.5 million, which is $1 million more than the assessed value of the property.

The current YMCA structure in Somerville was built in 1904. The plans for the $175 million expansion include a modern fitness gym, multiple full basketball courts, an elevated indoor running track, a child-care center, and a 25-meter swimming pool with six lanes.

Read more at The Boston Globe.

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