A place for children to play sports and neighbors to gather is taking shape in North Kitsap. Community volunteers from North Kitsap United and the YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties are working toward a recreation campus on nearly 95 acres beside Heritage Park, with sports fields planned as the first phase.
The broader vision includes 10 sports fields and a community park. Proposed amenities range from a dog park and disc golf course to a community garden and an accessible playground. A future YMCA would bring indoor recreation to a campus designed for people of all ages.
Together, these spaces would give families more opportunities to stay active and spend time together close to home.
A Vision Powered by Community
The effort grew from YMCA advocate John Rose's desire to create a lasting recreational resource in North Kitsap. Inspired by the Y's work in Gig Harbor, John envisioned a place where his own community could experience similar opportunities.
About a dozen volunteers, including some from the Kingston-North Kitsap Rotary Club, have helped advance that vision through funding and community conversations. Their efforts recently brought 150 people together for a gala, raising $5.37 million for the project in a single evening.
That support included a $1 million endowment from the Port Gamble S'Klallam tribal leadership intended to help cover ongoing maintenance, an investment in caring for the future campus for generations.
Local enthusiasm builds on years of listening to residents. Market studies conducted in 2016 and 2023 explored the feasibility of the YMCA in the area and identified community needs. Approximately 3,700 current Y members already live in the North Kitsap area and travel to either the Haselwood Family YMCA in Silverdale or the Bremerton Family YMCA.
The proposed campus could bring recreation closer to those members while introducing more neighbors to Y programs.
Beginning With the Fields
The development is planned in phases, with project leaders targeting a 2028 groundbreaking for the sports fields. The YMCA would operate the fields, manage rentals and offer sports programs that help build connections across the community.
The Y is working toward an agreement to purchase the property. A YMCA facility remains part of the longer-term vision, with its timeline still to be determined.
The goal is a campus where multiple generations can enjoy activities in one place, with room for organized sports and everyday recreation. With community volunteers leading the effort and donors invested in its future, North Kitsap is taking meaningful steps towards a shared place to play and belong.