COMMERCE CITY — A new Boys & Girls Club building may not be the biggest redevelopment prize Commerce City will net for the former Mile High Greyhound Park, but it could be the most pivotal, officials say.
That’s because the nonprofit has been a proven force in keeping young kids in school and helping them become leaders in the community, said John Arigoni, president and chief executive of Boys & Girls Clubs in Metro Denver.
“We can fundamentally save and change the lives of kids,” Arigoni said Wednesday at a ceremony announcing the city’s partnership with his organization. “What we do today will be remembered for many years to come.”
Officials said at least 2 acres of the 65-acre Mile High Greyhound Park property will be reserved for a new Boys & Girls Club center, the club’s first new facility in the metro area since 2006.
The Boys & Girls Club is the city’s first redevelopment partner for the park, which the city purchased for $3.3 million in August. The building is planned for the corner of East 62nd Street and Holly Avenue. Ground likely will not be broken before 2014.
The hope now is to attract several other partners for the park, including retail and residential developers.
“This is just a first stage in the park’s evolution,” Mayor Paul Natale said. “This is a huge move for us.”
The new club space is expected to dramatically increase the number of children served in Commerce City.
Currently, 600 youths are served at a temporary space provided by Adams 14 School District at Kearney Middle School. The new facility will likely attract about 1,800 new members, with up to 250 using it daily, Arigoni said.
With 83 percent of district students eligible for free or reduced-price lunches, the services offered by the Boys & Girls Clubs are an important niche for district youths, Adams 14 Superintendent Sue Chandler said.
“The expansion of the Boys & Girls Club means expanded enrichment opportunities for our students,” Chandler said.
Building funds include a $166,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and $1 million from Suncor Energy.
Suncor, a major Commerce City employer and longtime supporter of the Boys & Girls Club at Kearney, also will chip in about $100,000 annually for operating expenses, said Nancy Thonen, Suncor’s director of product supply and refinery sales.
Commerce City will also start funding some of the operating costs of the new building in 2012 with an initial $80,000 outlay to seed a community matching campaign. Natale said the city will match resident contributions, dollar-for-dollar, up to $250,000.
The new building could feature a teen center, technology lab and an education center. “This community will take great pride in this,” Arigoni said.
