November 2, 2016 – Building Futures Update

Construction continues to progress at a rapid rate at Charles Gardner Lane! The mason walls in the two story addition at the back of the building continue to grow taller as new soil to be used as fill is brought into the section as well. With the walls in place, it is impressive and exciting to see just how large our expanded Clubhouse will be! Masonry work has also begun at the new section of the swimming pool that will feature additional seating for our families and spectators.

To learn more about how you can become a Building Futures Campaign donor, please contact Lytta Teta, Director of Development. Those who wish to make a donation of $2,500 or more will be have their name (or that of a loved one) displayed on the beautiful donor wall in our new lobby.

The addition in the rear of the building will house our new gymnasium as well as a two story program addition.

This photo, taken from the former kitchen area, demonstrates just how large our new gymnasium will be. It will feature two full sized basketball courts.

New masonry walls at the front of the swimming pool are being built this week. An opening will remain for the actual pool construction to take place later in the project.

Next week, work will begin on the upgrading and replacement of the roof in the swimming pool.

Check back next Wednesday to see more photos of our Clubhouse renovation & expansion project!  As always, your donation is needed to see this project through to completion. No donation is too small.  Get involved today!

Building Futures Update – October 26, 2016

All of us at the Jamie McKeown Boys & Girls Club are thrilled to report that tremendous strides in the construction work have been made at Charles Gardner Lane over the past week. Most important to note are the new walls at the 2 story addition in the rear of the property. The masonry work is progressing very successfully and all involved are thrilled with the progress. We continue to be thankful for our project partners at Design & Development Solutions, The Maggiore Companies, Century Bank and most importantly, our supportive donors! To learn more about how you can become a Building Futures Campaign donor, please visit www.buildingfuturescampaign.org or contact Lytta Teta, Director of Development.

Masonry work continues at what will be the site of the new gymnasium, which will be twice the size of the former gym.

New masonry walls are also being built beside the gym, where a two story addition will house our childcare, fitness, and educational program spaces.

Foundation footings have been poured for the new stadium seating section at the front end of the swimming pool.

Foundation work continues at the addition in the front of the building which will house a new lobby and cafeteria.

As always, additional donations are needed to see the Building Futures Campaign and construction project through to completion. Please consider getting involved. Every donation is important to the success of this project. On behalf of the kids & teens who know our Club as the place where “Greatness has a voice,” thank you for your continued support!

Winning Home, Inc. Board members Albert Curran, Jr., Tom Martin, and Mark Salvati visited James L. McKeown Boys & Girls Club of Woburn Board President, Michael Donaghey and Executive Director, Julie Gage at the construction site of the McKeown Boys & Girls Club to present a very generous gift of $500,000 to the Building Futures Campaign. Winning Home, Inc. provides services and support to disadvantaged children and their families have granted more than $3,800,000 million to organizations since 1998. Winning Home, Inc. has been a leading supporter of the McKeown Boys & Girls Club for decades. Many Club alumni fondly remember spending their summers at Winning Farm. Since the inception of the foundation’s grant program, the Club has received $1,600,000 including the new grant in support from Winning Home, Inc.

Albert Curran, Jr. said about their support of the project, “Winning Home is excited and proud to be a part the renovation project at the James L. McKeown Boys Girls Club’s by supporting the Building Futures Campaign. The positive impact the Club has had on Woburn area children since the Club was first opened in the early 1960’s is immeasurable. With this renovation the Club positions itself to continue for decades more to educate and nurture the children of our City. Winning Home encourages all citizens to donate and be a part of this historic and important project.”

The Building Futures Campaign aims nearly double the size of the Clubhouse and modernize the existing structure. The new and expanded building will allow the James L. McKeown Boys & Girls Club to serve more youth and expand its programming. The new facility will include an expanded pool and gymnasium, new exercise room and fitness center, new commercial grade kitchen with a café, new classrooms and a new teen center.

“We are so fortunate to have the incredibly generous support of Winning Home Inc,” said Club President Michael Donaghey. “They have been fantastic supporters of the Jamie McKeown Boys & Girls Club since the days of Winning Farm and this generous gift further demonstrates their commitment to the children in our community.” This pledge is especially critical because at the beginning of this calendar year, the Cummings Foundation challenged the James L. McKeown Boys & Girls Club to raise $1 million in leadership gifts for the Building Futures Campaign which they would match. This generous pledge from Winning Home, Inc. has now put the McKeown Boys & Girls Club just $100,000 away from meeting this challenge.

To learn more about the Building Futures Campaign at the James L. McKeown Boys & Girls Club of Woburn, please visit www.buildingfuturescampaign.org or contact Lytta Teta, Director of Development at (781) 935-3777 or l.teta@bgcwoburn.org.

Building Futures Update – October 19, 2016

Masonry work has begun at Charles Gardner Lane! The foundation footings have been poured at the rear of the building where a huge two story addition that will house the gymnasium and a two story program space that will include childcare classrooms, a new learning center and new fitness studios.

Site work and back fill continues as masonry work begins at the rear of the building, the location of the new gymnasium.

View from the boys locker room, where you can see the beginnings of the new gymnasium and locker room walls.

Inside the gamesroom area of the Club, new foundations have been dug and the erection of new steel columns is underway. The swimming pool demolition is nearly complete. Soon, work on the roof will begin in that section of the building.

A view of the swimming pool which has been completely removed.

The foundation footings in the front of the building show where the cafeteria/kitchen will be.

Although it is exciting to see new walls start to be erected, please remember that we have quite a bit of fundraising to do. We are still hoping to raise an additional $2 million to complete the campaign and ensure that we can have the most up to date technology and equipment when we open in late 2017. You can help us reach this goal by donating today at www.buildingfuturescampaign.org. To learn more about the campaign and how you can make a multi-year pledge or a one time gift, please contact Lytta Teta, Director of Development.

Building Futures Update – October 12, 2016

With demolition nearly complete, we are happy to report that we have begun construction of some of the new additions that will be built at Charles Gardner Lane! We are still hoping to raise an additional $2 million to complete the campaign and ensure that we can have the most up to date technology, furniture and equipment when we open in late 2017.  You can help us reach this goal by donating today at www.buildingfuturescampaign.org.

Demolition continues in the swimming pool.  With the exterior, front facing wall as well as the deck having been removed, the demolition crew is now working on removing the tile from the “hole” itself.  In the coming weeks, we will begin working to repair and replace portions of the roof before construction of the new swimming pool begins.

Demolition is underway in the swimming pool itself.

Behind the building, soil testing is taking place and the site is being excavated for what will be the new two story addition in the rear of the facility. This section of the building will house the new gymnasium as well as the childcare center, fitness room, classrooms, offices and more.

Foundation work at the site of the former boys locker room, where it met the former gym.

Blocks being removed at the janitor’s closet and Program Director’s office to make way for a new wall that will join to the gym.

In the front of the building, the foundation footings for the new addition have been poured. This new expanded section will be one story and will feature our new cafeteria, lobby, office space and commercial grade kitchen. By looking at the new footings, you can see the size of this addition.

New foundation footings in the front of the Clubhouse.

Remember, every donation makes a difference and helps us build this great future home for the youth and teens of Woburn and the surrounding communities. Please consider supporting the Building Futures Campaign today. And, be sure to check back each week for a new construction update!

Building Futures Update – October 5, 2016

Demolition is nearing completion at Charles Gardner Lane.  The gymnasium has been completely removed, including the concrete slab. We are very much looking forward to our new gymnasium that will be twice the size and able to accommodate many more fun fitness activities for our members!

The site where the gym used to be, in the rear of the building. This will also be the site of the newly constructed gymnasium.

The swimming pool demolition is also underway.  The deck has been completely removed, down to the stone.  Later this week the tile in the “hole” itself will also be removed and pool construction and renovation will begin within the next month.

Demolition of the pool deck has been completed. This view is from the parking lot side.

Interior demolition of the gamesroom, offices, teen center, locker rooms and all other spaces has also been completed.  Site work in the front of the building has begun, where an addition that will include a new kitchen, cafeteria, lobby, office space and more will be built.

The former swimming pool office. Once renovated, this space will continue to serve as the aquatics administrative office.

The former Program Director’s Office, known in more recent years as the AmeriCorps office.

A view into the Club from the former girls locker room.

Your support is still needed to bring this project to fruition. Although we have begun construction, the campaign is not finished.  We still need to raise at least $2 million to ensure that we can have the most up to date technology, furniture and equipment for our new facility. Please consider supporting the Building Futures Campaign today. Every donation counts, no matter the size. Thank you in advance for your generous donation!

Building Futures Update – September 28, 2016

The construction of the future expanded & improved Jamie McKeown Boys & Girls Club facility on Charles Gardner Lane has begun. The abatement of hazardous materials has already been completed, and demolition is well underway. Over the next few weeks, we expect that demolition will be completed and excavation will begin for the new gymnasium.

As you can see above, the gymnasium at the rear of the building is being completely demolished. A new gymnasium that is a bit longer and twice as wide will be built in roughly the same location. Below you can see the site with the gymnasium completely removed, at the location where it joined up with what used to be the boys’ locker room.

Demolition of the gym, with the floor of the former Arts & Education Center (2nd floor) still in tact above the former boys’ locker room.

Another view of the gym demolition. The second floor has now been removed and the concrete slab is beginning to be demolished.

At the swimming pool, the front facing wall has been demolished to make way for a new set of stadium seating that will accommodate more spectators at the competitions of our Lucky’s Lobsters Swim Team! The pool will soon be completely excavated down to dirt to make way for an additional lane for our swimmers.

The swimming pool demolition is also underway. This is the site of the former exterior wall that faced the parking lot.

The central part of the Clubhouse has been completely gutted, with nearly all walls removed. A bigger gamesroom, expanded offices, and a more welcoming and secure lobby will all be part of the renovated central part of the building.

A roof deck and some structural beams are all that remain of the gamesroom.

We are thrilled to report that at this time the project is both on schedule and on budget. We continue to be thankful for our project partners Maggiore Construction, Design Development Solutions and Century Bank. We’d also like to take this opportunity to remind our friends and the general public that Charles Gardner Lane is a dangerous construction site that is not suitable for visitors.

Your support is still needed to make this project a reality. Please consider supporting the Building Futures Campaign today. Thank you in advance for your generous donation!

It’s Official, Construction has Begun!

Officers, donors, project contributors, Club staff and friends of the James L. McKeown Boys & Girls Club of Woburn gathered on Thursday, September 8, 2016 to officially break ground on the long awaited renovation & expansion project at Charles Gardner Lane. Immediate Past President of the Board of Directors, Shaun Briere served as the emcee for the ceremonious event.

The small crowd also heard from the Club’s President Michael Donaghey, Mayor Scott Galvin, City Council President Richard Haggerty, and State Representatives James Dwyer and Jay Kaufman. Also offering words of encouragement were Executive Director Joel Swets of the Cummings Foundation and Denise McKeown, wife of the late James L. McKeown for whom the organization has been named.

The groundbreaking event was also a wonderful opportunity to thank our leadership donors:  Cummings Foundation, Mr. & Mrs. John Flaherty, Winning Home Inc., the Schelzi Family, and the Tully Family. This event also gave us an opportunity to thank all of those who have worked diligently to bring the project to fruition. Project partners include The Maggiore Companies, the general contractor, Michael Pascavage of Design & Development Solutions, the project architect, and Century Bank, lender and supporter of the project.

To read more about this great day for the organization, check out this story in the Woburn Daily Times Chronicle.

Special thanks to photographer Joe Brown for capturing this important event for the Jamie McKeown Boys & Girls Club!

City Council President Richard Haggerty and Aldermen Lindsay Higgins and Edward Tedesco join the Club’s Executive Director, Julie Gage, at the groundbreaking.

The delegation of Woburn’s State Representatives, Jim Dwyer and Jay Kaufman, address the McKeown Boys & Girls Club groundbreaking.

The Tully Family has been involved in the Club for decades. They are a leadership donor for the project. Pictured here are Mark, Ruth, and Scott.

President of the Club, Michael Donaghey, is joined by Denise McKeown, Molly McKeown, and Mr. Bill Cummings of the Cummings Foundation, the project’s lead donor.

While the organization has raised a significant portion of our $8.5 million goal, donations are still needed to see the project through completion. Please consider making a donation today!

In the fall of 2014, the Cummings Foundation announced its support of the Building Futures Campaign to renovate and expand the Clubhouse located at Charles Gardner Lane in Woburn. The foundation will grant $2 million dollars to the Boys & Girls Club to support this important project. As part of the gift agreement, the Club has decided to rename the organization to the James L. McKeown Boys & Girls Club of Woburn. Jamie McKeown was the Club’s Boy of the Year in 1974 and was also the first alumni of the Club to become President of the Board of Directors. At the time of his early death, he was the President Cummings Properties.

Read this great article in the Boston Business Journal to learn more about the Cummings Foundation’s $10 million grants program.