Salvation Army Plans New Madison Shelter at YMCA Site

The city and county would step in to fund a new shelter after the Salvation Army determined its East Washington Avenue redevelopment was not financially viable.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Nursing Jobs

Salvation Army Plans New Madison Shelter at YMCA Site

Live Poll

Should Madison and Dane County use public funds to help build the new Salvation Army shelter?

The Salvation Army of Dane County has proposed selling its East Washington Avenue shelter and redeveloping the West YMCA site with a new shelter. The City of Madison plans to buy the Medical Circle property from the YMCA of Dane County for $4.2 million.

Why it matters

The Salvation Army determined in August 2025 that the rest of the East Washington campus redevelopment was not financially viable, and the city and county are stepping in to bridge the gap. The plan would also keep the West YMCA open until its new facility is completed.

The city will pay $4.2 million for the Medical Circle property and resell it to the county for $2.1 million, while the county leases it to the Salvation Army for $1 per year. The estimated $34.7 million construction cost compares with just over $13 million raised toward a $15 million capital campaign goal.

The players

Salvation Army of Dane County

A local chapter of the Salvation Army, the global Christian charity known for its shelters and social services, which operates the East Washington shelter and Shield Apartments.

YMCA of Dane County

The regional branch of the national YMCA, a nonprofit community organization that runs fitness and youth programs and is relocating its West Madison branch to Fitchburg.

The details

The 87,000-square-foot shelter would include 157 beds for single women, 19 emergency beds, and 32 full-service family rooms. After the YMCA moves to Fitchburg, the Salvation Army would sell its East Washington property and direct all proceeds toward construction.

2016: The Salvation Army began advancing plans to demolish its East Washington shelter.
2024: The 44-unit Shield Apartments opened next to the shelter.
August 2025: The Salvation Army determined the rest of the campus redevelopment was not financially viable.
End of 2026: The city aims to complete its purchase of the Medical Circle property.
Early 2028: The new West YMCA is expected to open along McKee Road.

Roadmap

The arrangement follows a pattern in which Madison uses public property purchases and resales to keep nonprofit service facilities in place when private redevelopment economics fall short. It extends that pattern to shelter capacity, where the city and Dane County are absorbing costs the charity could not carry alone.

Residents who rely on the West YMCA will be able to keep using it until the new facility opens in early 2028, when it moves to McKee Road. Shelter access for single women and families is expected to expand once the new 87,000-square-foot facility is complete around 2030.

The takeaway

Public-private funding gaps can determine whether essential community services survive a redevelopment plan. Watching the city approval process will show how quickly the new shelter can move forward.

What happens next

The city aims to finalize its purchase of the Medical Circle property by the end of 2026, and the new West YMCA is expected to open along McKee Road in early 2028.