Suburban North Family YMCA, a longtime presence in Catasauqua, will permanently close the first week in January.

“This decision was not made lightly or without exploring all possible alternatives,” said Amanda Wappes, chief marketing officer of River Crossing YMCA. “However, over recent years, despite significant investments to grow our membership, the operation of the branch has become increasingly unsustainable, running at a cost that puts significant financial stress on the association.”

The branch, located at 880 Walnut St., will end operations Jan. 4. The closure will conclude decades of service to area residents who used the facility for fitness, youth programs and community activities.

“When a YMCA serves a community like Catasauqua for 50 years, many lives and generations are touched,” Wappes said. “We’ve heard from some very nice people who remember attending programs there when they were children.”

One of those community members is outgoing Mayor Barbara Schlegel, who has long-standing ties to the YMCA and said she will miss the role it played in the borough.

“They did a lot for the youth. It was one of the last things we had here for our youth and senior citizens,” Schlegel said. “It was family oriented, provided fun times for the youth and brought a lot of community pride to the residents of the borough.”

Schlegel was part of the original board that helped establish the Catasauqua YMCA, which began operating out of Taylor House School in the mid-1960s.

“We got this YMCA started at the Taylor House School roughly around 1966,” she said.

She recalled volunteering for 17 years as a baton-twirling instructor and said she and her husband, Gene, who was also involved with the YMCA board, sent their children to programs at the Catasauqua location.

“I would love for someone to take it over and use it for something that would be good for the youth,” she added.

Suburban North Family YMCA currently has a gymnasium, wellness and weight-training areas, group exercise classes, a teen center and other programs including childcare, summer camps and before- and after-school care. Once the facility closes, those services will no longer be available at the Catasauqua location.

River Crossing YMCA says it is working to support members during the transition.

“The Y is offering Suburban North members the opportunity to try another branch of River Crossing YMCA free for three months, then resume their paid membership at the branch of their choice beginning April 1, 2026,” Wappes said. “It is our sincere hope that members will utilize the three months of free membership to explore what other Y branches in the area have to offer.”

Nearby branches include Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, Nazareth and Pen Argyl, and memberships are valid across all River Crossing YMCA locations.

Concerns have also been raised about the future of childcare services. Wappes said those programs will continue in the community.

“Mostly, we’ve heard concern that we won’t be offering programs to kids, which isn’t the case, as our childcare and before/after-school programs continue at their current locations in the community,” Wappes reported.

Before- and after-school childcare will still be offered at seven elementary schools in the Catasauqua, Whitehall-Coplay, Northern Lehigh and Northampton Area school districts. Early childhood education programs have transitioned to the YMCA-LVHN Westgate center on Schoenersville Road, less than 5 miles away. The YMCA will also continue offering health and wellness programs at Fellowship Community for active older adults.

River Crossing YMCA says it remains committed to addressing community needs through food assistance programs, summer outdoor pop-up play programs and other local initiatives like summer camp, which will take place 10 minutes away from the branch in Whitehall.

River Crossing YMCA has not announced future plans for the building or site following the closure. Members are encouraged to follow official YMCA communications for updates as the January date approaches.

Suburban North Family YMCA will continue operating as normal until its closure date.