In 1921, the Army & Navy YMCA was established to serve soldiers but quickly ran out of space, so Marston again stepped in to lead the effort to construct a new building.

Colonel Ed Fletcher secured the property on Broadway because it would be accessible to soldiers as it is within walking distance of both Navy Pier and Santa Fe Depot.

[5] During World War II, San Diego became a focal point of the military effort, and the YMCA was often their first stop.

[11] The Italian Renaissance Revival style building consists of six stories plus a basement all made of reinforced concrete.

[5] The facade is detailed with Classical balconies, pronounced belt courses, and a brown terra cotta banner below 5th floor reading "Army and Navy YMCA 1924".

This entrance sits within an elaborate central pavilion with flanking bays under a broken pediment supported by paired Ionic columns.

The center of the building held a two-story gymnasium with a running track around the 2nd level, while an Olympic-size swimming pool was located in the basement.

[7] The two-story basketball court became a ballroom, while the basement swimming pool became a multi-purpose room decorated with vintage photos.

[12][13] A fluted hand-carved reception desk was added to the lobby and the building's original blueprints, which were discovered inside a wall during remodeling, were framed and hung in the entrance.