The YMCA of the North said Friday it will keep its West St. Paul location open through the middle of 2019 as a national retailer interested in the property continues its due diligence and the Y nails down a new site.

The YMCA had previously anticipated moving West St. Paul members to a temporary location by the end of this year while it built a new location.

Last December, the national retailer entered into an agreement with the YMCA to buy its 10-acre site on Thompson Avenue just east of South Robert Street. The agreement is contingent on the retailer determining the site meets its needs and the Y finding a new location.

“We anticipate that we will hear a decision from the national retailer in December 2018,” said spokeswoman Joan Schimml, adding she cannot name the retailer, per terms of the agreement.

The YMCA has not yet finalized where its new permanent location will be, Schimml said, adding that it will be in “our current service area and will be built to reflect the needs of this community.”

The West St. Paul branch, at 150 Thompson Ave. E., serves about 7,000 members. A  Y study concluded that — compared with other suburban sites — the building was outdated and not big enough to serve the community’s long-term needs.

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