It is one of Wareham's favorite clubs because anybody can be a member. Consequently, The Gleason Family YMCA is growing.

Construction recently began on the final pieces of the Y's $4.2 million expansion: an outdoor pool complex and a 4,825 square-foot addition that will include new adult locker rooms and a multipurpose room.

“Initially, Dr. Gleason's vision was to give teens a place to come and be safe," said Gleason YMCA Executive Director Laura Prisco, referred to Dr. Sherm Gleason, the lead donor and visionary for the Wareham facility. "I think we've accomplished this. Where would all these kids be if they weren't here?”

The first part of the expansion, an addition that doubled the size of the gymnasium and added a second-floor running track, was completed in November. It has provided a welcome gathering spot for young teens and become the site of a fiercely competitive, pickup-basketball scene.

At 3,500 square feet, the pool will have the same surface area as the one indoors, but half of it will be a “zero-entry” family area: a gradually sloping wading area that mimics the contours of a beach and allows children with limited swimming skills to play in the water. The facility will contain a bathhouse with locker rooms, first-aid facilities and staff areas so that it can operate on Sundays during the summer when the rest of the Y building is closed. The pool is scheduled to open to the public on July 19.

“Even though we live in an oceanfront community with plenty of swimming opportunities, it's going to provide a safe place for people to come and learn to swim,” said Prisco.

The new locker rooms will provide separate changing areas for adults as well as steam and sauna facilities. The new multipurpose room will have a rubberized floor so that it can be used for weight training and dance classes.

There is still money to be raised, however. The Y is committed to not increasing membership dues to pay for the expansion. As a result, it is depending on donations for an additional $1,222,500 to complete the project:

-- The pool project needs an additional $9,500 to fund the remaining 2% of costs.

-- The multipurpose studio needs an additional $938,000 to fund the remaining 66%.

-- The endowment to help maintain the facilities requires an additional $275,000 to meet its goal of $525,000.

The building was originally built for 5,000 members. There are now 7,850 members with 65% being family members. Said Jill Tompkins, the director of capital development at YMCA Southcoast: “Donations to Y are a way to really contribute to the community.”