There was good news and bad news this week for the YMCA of Martha’s Vineyard, as the nonprofit announced that executive director John Clese is stepping down, and that construction of the new $11 million YMCA on the Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road is set to begin in the coming weeks.

Mr. Clese will end his work for the YMCA on July 1, said president Chuck Hughes. Meanwhile, ground-breaking on the new 38,000 square-foot-building is tentatively set for May 18.

Mr. Hughes called it a bittersweet time for the YMCA staff and family.

“The YMCA has been very good to [Mr. Clese], and he has been great to us. We will certainly miss him. But I think he feels the new executive director should have some say over what new programs will take place in the new building,” Mr. Hughes said. “It is very different to start up an operation than to take over an established operation . . . he did a great job getting us where we are now, and we are in a great position to transition into this exciting new phase.”

In a prepared statement, Mr. Clese said he plans to relocate from the Island by the end of the summer and move to Chicago, where he plans to seek work within the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago. “The [YMCA] on Martha’s Vineyard is transitioning into its next phase of development and I felt there was a natural pause just before facility construction to make a change,” he said.

Mr. Clese said he wanted to give the new executive director 10 to 12 months on the job prior to the opening of the new facility, planned for early 2010. He also warned that the new director should be prepared to hit the ground running. “The start-up phase for any organization is challenging and isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s been quite a wild ride since the beginning of this project . . . I’ve never had a boring moment, that’s for sure,” he said.

Mr. Clese joined the organization shortly after the Martha’s Vineyard Aquatics Center decided to pursue a charter designation as a YMCA. He helped create a teen center, expand after-school programming and increase fund-raising efforts. Under his six-year tenure, programs expanded to include middle school students, seniors and the YMCA’s first summer camp.

For the past two years, Mr. Clese has worked extensively on the YMCA capital campaign for the new facility across from the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School. He said there was plenty of work for him to complete before leaving the organization in July, including fund-raising, program planning and preparing for the sale of charter memberships.

“I want to make this transition as smooth as possible. I’ve given so much of my time and effort to this project and I want to do everything I can to help it succeed,” he said.

As for the new YMCA building, Mr. Hughes announced that all permits are in place and Metric Construction Corporation of Boston has been hired as the general contractor.

“It has taken a lot of hard work from the staff and volunteers to get here . . . and we couldn’t be more excited,” he said.