The 92nd Street Y in New York City has raised $145 million toward a top-to-bottom renovation of its Upper East Side facilities, the Wall Street Journal reports.  

The $180 million capital campaign, the largest in the 144-year history of the institution, will support an extensive renovation of the complex on Lexington Avenue — two buildings dating back to 1929 and 1968 — including the creation of dedicated spaces for programs and activities focused on young children, seniors, and Jewish life. To accommodate the new spaces, some residential units in the buildings will be eliminated and existing space will be reconfigured, Y officials told the Journal. While the project is expected to take several years, a new sixteen-room facility that houses the music school has been completed.

The effort comes as other major cultural institutions in the city have struggled with ambitious campaigns and costly projects. Over the past year, for example, Lincoln Center and the New York Philharmonic have shelved a $500 million plan to renovate David Geffen Hall, the philharmonic's home at Lincoln Center. But Henry Timms, who has served as the 92nd Street Y's chief executive since 2014, was matter of fact about the project, telling the Journal that "[w]e underinvested in the building for decades."

(Photo credit: 92nd Street Y)