The YMCA of Greater St. Louis and the YMCA of Southwest Illinois plan to form a new association called the Gateway Region YMCA.
Pending approval, the merger will take effect March 1. The board of directors from both Ys announced the proposed merger on Wednesday.
The associations have been in a strategic alliance since July 2013, according to a press release. Through the agreement, a task force was formed to assess the potential merger.
"Both associations entered into this process driven by the goal of determining how the YMCA could best serve our communities," Gary Schlansker, incoming president and CEO of the Gateway Region YMCA, said in a statement. "This is an incredible opportunity to combine staff, volunteers, facilities and financial resources to elevate our impact in all of the communities we serve."
The Gateway Region Y would consist of 23 branches with more than 200,000 members covering the city of St. Louis, seven Missouri counties and six counties in southwestern Illinois. Membership types and pricing structures will remain the same, and branch employees and operations will not be affected by the merger, according to the press release.
The news of the proposed merger was first reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.