Boys and Girls Club breaks ground Saturday

MOSES LAKE - The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Columbia Basin soon will have a new clubhouse to host after-school activities.

Program executive director Brant Mayo said the Boys and Girls Club will move from its downtown Moses Lake location to a brand new facility next to Park Orchard Elementary School on Paxson Drive before the year is up.

"Currently, we're basically in a storefront in the middle of town," he said Wednesday. "It's not conducive to providing the services and programming that kids in our area need." Mayo said the organization will break ground on their new facility on Saturday. The public is invited to attend the ceremony and see preliminary designs and renderings, he said. The ground-breaking ceremony starts at 1 p.m. Park Orchard Elementary is located at 417 Paxson Dr.

Mayo said North Central Construction is the general contractor for the 10,700 square-foot clubhouse. The new building will give staff and volunteers more room to work with, he said.

"We have close to 200 kids a day, and it's just too crowded where we are currently," said Mayo. "We need to provide a better place for our kids."

The new clubhouse will have a dedicated area for the teens that participate in the program, he said, something the current location doesn't have. "Right now we haven't been able to serve that population very well," he said. "This new facility will have a separate area for students in middle school and higher, with their own staff and programming." Mayo said he hopes more teens will participate in the program if they know they won't have to mix in with the younger kids.

Mayo said the new location will also provide better access to outdoor activities as well. Students have to cross busy streets to get to some of the parks near downtown Moses Lake, he said. The new location is bordered by a five-acre city park, said Mayo. "There will be plenty of space to do programming and activities."

Since the new clubhouse is adjacent to the elementary school, Mayo said the organization has an arrangement with the school district to use some of the school's facilities after hours. In return, the school will have access to the clubhouse during the school day, he said.

"This is a really good partnership because it maximizes the use of facilities in the area," said Mayo.

Mayo said new clubhouse also puts the organization closer to Moses Lake neighborhoods, making it easier for kids to access activities.

"We have after-school homework programs and also offer classes on alcohol and drug prevention," he said. "The goal is to provide a positive place for youth in our area to go after school."