Permanent shade for the kids and families of the Northwest Valley Family YMCA – the community's most-requested park amenity.
EL MIRAGE, Ariz., Sept. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- In partnership with the Northwest Valley Family YMCA, Compass Datacenters is funding a permanent shade structure over the outdoor basketball court, turning the branch's largest outdoor space into one that El Mirage families can use year-round. The El Mirage City Council approved the contract with Shade N' Net on June 16, and construction is expected to be complete by the end of the year.
At 98 feet by 60 feet, the structure covers a hard-surface court that the Arizona summer currently takes away for months at a time. By reducing heat buildup on the concrete, the shade unit keeps the space comfortable for school‑age programs and after‑school practices. Without it, those practices get pushed into the evening, and families who can't make a late session miss out.
The investment reflects Compass's 100-year neighbor philosophy, which commits the company to the long-term wellbeing of the communities where it operates. Compass is developing a campus in El Mirage, which is the start of a decades-long presence in the city.
"On behalf of the City of El Mirage, I want to thank Compass Datacenters for their generous support of the new shade structure at the Northwest Valley YMCA basketball court, which will enhance the comfort and safety of the families and young athletes who use this space every day," said El Mirage Mayor Alexis Hermosillo. "As a new business preparing to join our community, Compass Datacenters is already making a meaningful impact. This partnership reflects the positive synergy amongst our businesses, nonprofits and the City. We are grateful for Compass Datacenters' commitment to El Mirage and are excited to welcome them as a community partner."
The donation funds a shade structure that residents had requested. In the City's 2025 Parks and Recreation Master Plan Community Survey, El Mirage residents ranked shade areas as the highest-demand park amenity, ahead of every other request. The project also advances the Quality of Life goals in the City's FY2026–2028 Strategic Plan, which commit El Mirage to strengthening community bonds, promoting health and wellness and expanding recreational opportunities across all neighborhoods – in part by upgrading parks and recreational spaces so they are safe, accessible and engaging.
Shade N' Net, the City's shade structure vendor, has recently completed six other shade structures across the El Mirage park system. The City will maintain the new structure as part of its management of the YMCA facility.
The project began with a question. Compass' El Mirage campus shares a property line with the Northwest Valley Family YMCA, and upon breaking ground, Compass asked branch executive Mary Davis what her members needed most. Her answer was one word: shade. Davis had kept a shade structure on the branch's wish list for all five years she has led the location, and the City's Parks and Recreation Department and City Management team carried the project forward to Council.
"For months out of the year, we have a beautiful court that nobody can stand on," said Mary Davis, [District Executive], Northwest Valley Family YMCA. "Come July, the concrete makes the decision for us. Coaches move practice into the dark, our preschoolers stay inside and a space built for this community sits empty. Shade changes that math. It gives us back the biggest outdoor space we have — for our members and for every family in El Mirage who walks through those gates."
Covered, the court opens to programming the branch has never been able to hold there. Group fitness classes move outdoors. The full-day preschool, open from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and school-age programs get outdoor time for bikes, basketball and play. Community events gain a shaded gathering space for several hundred people, including the branch's Trunk or Treat each October. The structure sits beside the branch's already-covered pool deck, extending shade across the outdoor play space.
"Being a good neighbor starts when the first shovel hits the ground and continues long after ribbon cutting," said AJ Byers, President of Compass Datacenters. "Our campuses are built to last a century, and so are our relationships with the communities around them. When the Northwest Valley Family YMCA told us shade would make a meaningful difference for the community, supporting the project was an easy decision."
About the City of El Mirage
Incorporated on June 25, 1951, the City of El Mirage is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2026. The City is proud to serve as the Gateway to the West Valley of Phoenix. In addition to expanding its parks and recreation services, El Mirage remains committed to working with partners to strengthen regional and global connectivity, attract business development, and provide strategic access to key transportation corridors.
About the Northwest Valley Family YMCA
The Northwest Valley Family YMCA, at 12450 W. Cinnabar Ave. in El Mirage, is a branch of Valley of the Sun YMCA. It serves more than 4,300 memberships with youth sports, swim lessons, group fitness, teen programs, and licensed preschool and school-age care, and opens its facilities to the surrounding community.
About Compass
Compass Datacenters does data centers differently. The company develops and operates sustainable Class A, Community-First campuses guided by a 100-year neighbor philosophy that invests in the workforce, infrastructure, and well-being of every community it calls home. Backed by the institutional strength of Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, Brookfield Infrastructure and KKR, Compass delivers high-quality facilities at speed for the cloud and hyperscale customers driving today's economy. By combining industrialized, prefabricated design with advanced hybrid cooling that uses no water during operations, responsible energy use, and zero-waste construction, Compass takes a more sustainable approach to digital infrastructure supporting the company's built-to-last vision. The result is move-in ready capacity that scales efficiently and responsibly. Data Centers Done Differently.
SOURCE Compass Datacenters
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