What’s next for the YMCA?

It was a split that surprised both the Winter Park Health Foundation and the YMCA, as well.

After an 18-year partnership, the two entities no longer will be collaborating on the brand new Center for Health & Wellbeing, which includes the Peggy & Philip B. Crosby Wellness Center.

The move from its old 30,000-square-foot facility to its new home within the Center For Health & Wellbeing, which had been overseen by both organizations, came as a means of upgrading the facility — which was to be utilized by paying members of the Y.

With the split, former Y members must find a new home.

“YMCA membership has always enabled, and will continue to allow all members, to use all Ys in Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Brevard, Lake and Marion counties,” YMCA officials said in a prepared statement. “Over the last several months, the YMCA has relocated services and amenities across all of its locations so members of the former Crosby YMCA Family Center could continue their wellness journey.”

There are four different YMCA locations in the Winter Park area, with the Winter Park YMCA located about one mile away from the former Crosby location.

According to the WPHF, the move to separate from the Y came because of the Y’s disinterest in some of the items the WPHF was seeking, including a medical-fitness certification.

However, YMCA officials said they supported the idea of pursuing the certification and that is was the WPHF that cut off discussion regarding the memorandum of agreement.

“We had every intent and un-wavered commitment to see this happen, and we were taking all the steps necessary to put in place this collaboration,” said Dan Saginario, vice president of brand and cause advocacy for the YMCA of Central Florida. “When we got to the memorandum, it was written in a way that was un-signable, because it would put the Y at risk with certain liabilities for us to not be good stewards of what the community has entrusted us with.

“So unfortunately, there wasn’t any flexibility to make any alterations to that agreement,” he said. “We reached out and said we want to continue to have conversation and dialogue, because we thought we were close.”

Once the deadline was reached, no deal could be made, and the two went separate ways. YMCA officials reached out to the WPHF but was denied any further discussion, Saginario said.

Now, YMCA officials are concentrating on the four facilities it has in the Winter Park area.

“We are turning our attention on how we can best serve the needs of our community,” Saginario said. “The Crosby members that were there, we welcome them into the Winter Park YMCA, as well as the Downtown, and the Oviedo YMCA and the Blanchard Park YMCA. We are going to continue to actively invest in those facilities to make sure we are meeting the needs of these members for the next generation.

“We are integrally a part of the community, and we will always have a commitment to live our mission —improving lives of all here in Central Florida in spirit, mind, and body,” he said. “That’s what we are all about.”