UC creates ‘The Why,’ a new student hub in historic YMCA building

The University of Cincinnati is creating a new student-centered hub focused on engagement, community and well-being.

Known as ‘The Why,’ the space will be located in the historic YMCA building located on Calhoun Street which is currently being renovated as a part of a $30 million project. 

The Why will complement Tangeman University Center (TUC) and will reimagine how the university supports the needs of students.  

The interior renovation is currently anticipated to be completed by Fall 2027, transforming the 17,000-square-foot building into a student-centered space for activities and gathering in a home-like atmosphere. The new use will echo the building’s original purpose when it opened nearly a century ago, in 1929, as a Young Men’s Christian Association that provided hospitality, social spaces and outreach activities.

UC President Neville Pinto spoke about The Why at an Aug. 25 UC Board of Trustees meeting.

“The project gives us the opportunity to preserve and breathe new life into a historic campus structure while transforming the interior into a welcoming place to gather, recharge and connect,” Pinto said.

“I like to think of it as a new campus “living room” — comfortable, inviting and full of student energy,” Pinto told the Board of Trustees. “And fittingly, it will be managed by students, for students, giving them real ownership in shaping a space that is truly their own.”

UC purchased the former YMCA building in 2005, and it has remained vacant since then. 

The Cincinnati Business Courier reported on the ongoing renovation of The Why in the coverage of the Aug. 25 Board of Trustees meeting.

Featured top image of the historic YMCA building on the UC campus. Photo/UC Marketing + Brand.