By the Daily Journal of Commerce Staff

The YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties (YMCAPKC) announced Wednesday that it has agreed to a five-year lease with Sound West Group to operate an ‘express’ location at the developer’s Marina Square mixed-use project in Bremerton.

The $140 million Marina Square opened last year at 280 Washington Ave. on the Bremerton waterfront. The project transformed a former parking lot into a destination waterfront location with 270 apartment units and short-stay rentals across two midrise towers.

The development has approximately 13,000 square feet of retail/restaurant space, as well as a three-level parking structure with more than 360 stalls. A public plaza, named for Bremerton’s former mayor Cary Bozeman, is situated between the towers.

The YMCAPKC will open at Marina Square this fall in a 2,067-square-foot space adjacent to the plaza. The facility will be for adult members only and will offer state-of-the-art strength training and cardio equipment, as well as utilizing nearby outdoor spaces for seasonal group classes.

Individuals who become members at this location will also have access to the nearby Bremerton Family YMCA, which offers expanded programming such as daily group exercise classes and an Olympic-size pool.

The Y will be the second tenant to open at Marina Square and joins a market serving typical convenience store offerings, managed by Harris Retail Group, which opened last year.

Sound West Group says it has also signed a tenant for the development’s waterfront restaurant space, which includes an outdoor dining deck, and will be sharing