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Boston: Mayor Michelle Wu Celebrates the Groundbreaking of a New Community Center in Grove Hall

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Mayor Michelle Wu joined the Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF), the Human Services Cabinet, the Public Facilities Department, local and state elected officials, and Dorchester residents to officially break ground on a new community center in Grove Hall. The project is funded through the City's five-year Capital Plan, which provides substantial improvements to City assets, with a current budget of $65 million.  This is the first new full service community center to be built in Boston and the first in Grove Hall. Currently a City-owned vacant lot, the selection of this location was announced by Mayor Wu in 2022 and all aspects of the design of the center were finalized following a robust community engagement process with local residents, who expressed the need for a dedicated, flexible facility.

"After decades of community advocacy, Grove Hall will finally have a brand-new, full service space designed by and for our youth and families of every generation," said Mayor Michelle Wu. "I am extremely grateful for the leadership and advocacy of our community members who have worked to shape this new home for the Grove Hall community for generations to come."

The center will be 41,000 square feet and will feature a lobby, pool, locker rooms, a gym, cardio and weight room, fitness studio, senior center, community room, conference room, teaching kitchen, art room, teen center, multipurpose classroom, tech lab, makerspace and workshop. The pool will be zero entry for people with mobility issues and the building and features will be accessible. The public plaza at the Geneva Avenue entrance to the center will feature benches and cafe tables for residents to sit and relax, as well as open space for community events and performances. The center will also feature a wide variety of environmental features such as all electric systems, PV-ready roof, waste heat recycling, stormwater infiltration system, and use of native plantings and trees for shade. Low or no volatile organic compound (VOC) materials will be used throughout and there will be enhanced indoor air quality strategies.

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"The Grove Hall Community Center represents a long-awaited promise to a neighborhood full of vision, strength, and pride," said State Senator Liz Miranda. "For years, residents have dreamed of a space that celebrates their brilliance, creativity, and collective power. This groundbreaking honors that dream and reflects what's possible when we center community voice and collaboration."

"The Grove Hall Community Center will be an incredible addition to our neighborhood," said State Representative Chris Worrell. "Whether it's our seniors getting their steps in at the track, or our youth getting swimming lessons in the pool, this will be a place for our neighbors to come together, celebrate community, and enjoy rich programming. It is a true testament to what happens when we all work together — transforming a vacant lot into a transformative community asset."

"This groundbreaking puts us one step closer to making the standalone Grove Hall Community Center a reality for our residents," said City Councilor Brian Worrell (District 4). "This community deserves a place that will be the heartbeat of the neighborhood, and in conjunction with the Grove Hall Library across the street, our constituents will know where they can go when they want to see a friendly face. Capital investments like these matter and it's great to see them happening across my district."

Currently, all of BCYF's community centers in Dorchester are located in school buildings which limits BCYF's access to areas of the facility during school hours and affects programming hours. With stand-alone facilities, BCYF is able to offer more programming to residents and also use sites as heating/cooling centers and temporary emergency centers. During the community process, participants expressed a strong desire for flexible BCYF spaces that can be utilized by residents of all ages at more times. Community members' desired programming included services BCYF currently offers at its centers, such as continuing education offerings and farmers markets. Responses also showed significant interest in playscapes and spaces for social gathering.

"This is a historic day for BCYF. The dream is now a reality as we break ground on a brand-new, full-service community center -the first building ever constructed specifically as a BCYF center," said Marta E. Rivera, Commissioner of Boston Centers for Youth & Families. "BCYF centers are the heart of their neighborhoods, serving residents of all ages, yet investments haven't always reflected their impact. Today's groundbreaking marks not only a new chapter for BCYF, but also underscores Mayor Wu's steadfast commitment to investing in our communities and the people we serve. We are profoundly grateful for her leadership and vision."

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"The BCYF Grove Hall Community Center will bring all the great programming BCYF has to offer under one roof, in the heart of a neighborhood that will benefit from having increased access to spaces for recreation and community-building," said José F. Massó, Chief of Human Services. "I look forward to seeing everyone in Grove Hall, from our older adults, to our youngest residents, enjoying this incredible neighborhood asset."

"As someone with Grove Hall roots, this project is deeply personal to me. Grove Hall and the surrounding neighborhoods have expressed and demonstrated the need for a permanent, full-service community center for a very long time. The  absence of such a space has been felt across generations, said Dion Irish, Chief of Operations. Today's groundbreaking is monumental, as we begin building a center designed for everyone, with opportunities, resources, and spaces that reflect the strength and spirit of this neighborhood."

Since October 2021, BCYF and the City's Public Facilities Department have hosted many community meetings and released a survey to get input from Dorchester residents on where they wanted to see a new community center built and the types of programs it should offer. Grove Hall received the most votes in a programming and location survey that was available throughout the siting process This process examined over 40 privately- and publicly-owned locations in Dorchester. This community engagement process first established the desired uses and activities for the new center, reviewed the size the center would need to be to host these activities, and then identified locations based on those criteria. A multi-year center design process followed.

The Grove Hall Community Center project builds on years of advocacy from community members and recent investments by the City to provide state-of-the-art facilities across neighborhoods. For years, the selected lot has served residents and families in Dorchester through a series of activations and programming. From 2003 until 2009, the City created and maintained the "Bubble," a temporary structure covered in vinyl supported by a metal frame and reinforced double-walls. Within the structure, residents had access to a full-size basketball court, computer rooms, offices, and a multi-purpose room. In 2009, the Grove Hall Library was built adjacent to the formerly named Jeremiah E. Burke High School, leading to the Bubble being closed. The library project included a community center space with offices, a community room and access to Burke High School athletic facilities. Currently, the Grove Hall Community Center is a senior center. The new BCYF center is designed to serve all ages and will offer diverse and enriching programs and events that cater to the interests and needs of the community members.

ABOUT BCYF

Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF) is the City of Boston's largest youth and human service agency. BCYF operates 36 community centers in Boston that offer a variety of engaging and enriching programs for people of all ages created through community input and need. BCYF also oversees many citywide programs.

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