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The YMCA of Columbia-Willamette could be joining Portland鈥檚 multifamily development craze.

YMCA officials are considering constructing a 58-unit residential building on a land the nonprofit organization owns in Southeast Portland and are partnering with Portland developer Michael McKenna of Summit Real Estate Management on the potential project. The proposed residential project would coincide with plans to replace an existing child development and arts center on the 1.5-acre site, at 6036 S.E. Foster Road, said Bob Hall, president and CEO of the YMCA of Columbia-Willamette.

At this point, the development plans are in the 鈥渧ery preliminary stages of exploration,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e still not sure if it鈥檚 a doable project.鈥�

Whether the project pencils out will depend on gaining approval from the city of Portland to rezone the site from a split of commercial and single-family residential to allow medium density residential development, McKenna said. To see if this is feasible, he and YMCA officials have scheduled a pre-application conference later this month with representatives of Portland鈥檚 Bureau of Development Services.

鈥淭he first obstacle is the zoning change,鈥� McKenna said.

He said the YMCA approached him about the possibility of constructing a residential building using surplus land on the site following the replacement of the Southeast Center Child Development Center and Y Arts Center. A market-rate residential development could serve as a potential revenue generator to support the organization鈥檚 youth programs, McKenna said.

鈥淭he idea of a mixed-use facility may make sense,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey needed a new facility. I鈥檓 just kind of trying to help them. There鈥檚 excess land and if it can be done, it makes sense economically.鈥�

Portland-based Leeb Architects LLC is contributing design services to the potential project, which would likely involve tearing down and replacing the existing 14,000-square-foot child development and arts center with a smaller building, Hall said. The existing building was constructed in the late 1950s as a health and wellness center with a pool and is too big for its current use, he said.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 need a child development center this is that large,鈥� Hall said. 鈥淲e just want to have a new building if possible.鈥�

The new child development center would neighbor the proposed residential development with the potential for the two buildings to share 70 parking spaces and a playground, McKenna said.

鈥淭he two facilities can work together quite nicely,鈥� he said.

The pre-application conference for the proposed project is scheduled to take place on May 28 at 10:30 a.m. in Room 4a at in city offices at 1900 S.W. Fourth Ave.