The first local YMCA organization in the Tucson area on March 15, 1892 at a ceremony at City Hall. Various sporting events were held at the University of Arizona and gatherings were held at a “clubhouse” on Church and Pennington until $1000,000 was raised to start construction of the first YMCA building in Tucson.
The first building was located at 125 W. Congress St. on the southern corner of Congress and Court St. At that time, the location is where the most western piece of the current Veinte de Agosto Park is located today (across from the government building to the north of Congress). The park was dedicated in 1978 and it was under consideration as a site for the downtown library in 1985 but it would have eliminated the park.
The YMCA was located at what was the site of the “Fashion Saloon,” constructed in 1883. The original YMCA building was in place until talks of a new YMCA that was located on 5th Ave, and 6th St. (516 N. 5th Ave.) began in 1942. The old building was put up for sale in 1952 to help pay for the new “Central YMCA.”
The Central YMCA is now a large condo building, “The District on 5th” and the name was changed to the “L.A. Lohse Memorial YMCA” in 1973. The new downtown Lohse Family YMCA on Alameda began construction on Aug. 29, 1990 and opened May 18, 1992. Efforts to turn the Lohse YMCA into a youth center failed, even though it was widely considered one of the best basketball gyms in Tucson. Instead, the Muse Art Center took the building over until 2005 when the building was set for condos. It was sold for $2.35 million…