Back in May, we updated you on the progress of the shiny new Boys & Girls Club, aka the Don Fisher Clubhouse, headed to 380 Fulton St. (between Gough and Franklin). Since then, the massive 38,000 square foot project has made substantial progress towards its opening date in January 2015, when it plans to begin accommodating up to 2,000 youth aged 6-18 annually (that's averaging a daily attendance of 190).
The old Ernest Ingold Club on Page Street in the Upper Haight, if you'll recall, has been purchased by a Falun Gong-related organization. "The primary reason for relocation is that the neighborhood has changed dramatically since the Club was constructed 60+ years ago," according to the Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco (BGCSF). "The children and teens we serve do not live in this neighborhood, but instead largely live in the Western Addition, Tenderloin, Lower Haight and Hayes Valley. Moving the Club aligns with our mission of 'serving the youth who need us the most.'"
There's a whole lot coming up for the new space, which will also serve as the headquarters of BGCSF in addition to serving school-age, at-risk youth at a membership cost of $10 annually:
"It will feature a competition-size swimming pool, learning center, performing arts studio, music studio, high school services center, middle-school center, Design-Thinking studio, and high school size gym; in addition to the organizational headquarters for BGCSF."
Here are the renderings for the gym and the pool, the two highlights that are sure to appeal most to local kids:
We spoke with BGCSF's Denise Cante, who told us that programming at the new clubhouse will include academic support, job readiness, healthy lifestyle, leadership development skills and community service, "all with the goal of helping support young people." "Learn to swim" aquatics programming is on the way in the new pool, a performing arts space will enable new programs, and there'll be lots of sports programs headed to the new gym space.
With the move to the new location, the organization hopes to tap into a new community and partner with local arts organizations such as the SF Jazz Center and SF Ballet, schools such as Gateway High and Middle Schools, Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory and KIPP, as well as the African American Art & Culture Complex and various associations and councils for residents of nearby housing complexes.
The Don Fisher Clubhouse will have its grand opening ribbon-cutting ceremony on January 21st from 1-2:30pm, but look for programming to being by mid-January. In the meantime, it's time to round up some neighborhood kids who you think could benefit from membership at the new Clubhouse.
