2. Since 1945, the Nantucket Boys & Girls Club has been helping Nantucket’s youth grow and succeed. The Club
is a vital resource for the Nantucket community, providing parents with a safe, healthy and fun place for their
children to receive help with homework, gain computer skills and participate in art projects and athletics.
In 1980, the Club had 230 members, with 80 kids attending daily. Today, we have 669 members, with 300
students attending daily. In order for the Club to continue to be a part of the fabric of Nantucket childrens’
lives, a significant renovation and expansion is needed.
In 2013, 865 kids were coached by 84 volunteers, in sports including dodge ball, field hockey, basketball,
and football. Six days a week, we offer academic support, computer lab time, art programs and a game room
where children can safely interact together. Our learning center improves study habits and lays a foundation
for making good life choices. By transforming our Club into a space that meets our current demands and
future needs, we will never have to turn a child away.
THE CHALLENGE
3. With the new addition and renovation to the Nantucket Boys & Girls Club, our youth will finally have a facility
that meets their needs. The over 20,000 SF of new and renovated space will feature a new multi-purpose, two
court gymnasium, a substantially larger learning center, an expanded and updated computer center, an open
game room featuring views out to both the basketball courts and gymnasium, and a new and inviting teen center.
By repurposing the current facility, we will maximize our ability to use all of our space. When it is not being
used by the children, our new facility will be available for rent to outside groups providing a unique venue and
source of income for the Club. The Club will be able to offer teen and adult programming such as soccer,
basketball, volleyball and will be the largest temperature controlled space on the island for events. The need is
real, and we need to take action now. The new Club will open June 1st, 2015, ushering a new era of opportunity
for Nantucket’s youth.
A BRIGHTER FUTURE
4. If you have ever entered the Club after school, then you are familiar with the hundreds of children arriving all
at once to a small, cramped space not designed to safely hold this amount of children.
The new entrance to the Club will change all that. Students will enter from a covered vestibule into a waiting area
and control point. Following check in, they will be greeted by an open and inviting game room, with transparent
views out onto the football field and into the gymnasium. From this central hub, students can access any other
part of the facility – and Club staff can easily supervise students and control check in and check out.
Whether it’s foosball, ping pong, pool, board games, art projects, hanging out together, or watching a game,
the new game room will quickly become a home away from home for Club members.
A HOME AWAY FROM HOME
5. The current gymnasium has an incredible amount of character, and those who played in it may even bear the
battle scars! After all the court is not regulation size and it’s very easy to run into the walls during a game.
The space is dark, and the ever increasing demand for court time has forced the Club to limit participation.
This will never be a problem again. The new multi-purpose, two basketball court gymnasium will give the Club
a space to program an incredible amount of athletic opportunities for both Club members and outside groups
alike. This space will have, in total, 12 backstops, leading to more reasonable practice time, an appealing space
for children to try the sport, and an incredible gathering space for the greater Nantucket Community.
GAME ON!
6. When our members turn 13-15, they tend to leave the Club behind. We believe this isn’t because they don’t
love the space or want to stay in touch – it’s because they don’t have a place to call their own, where they can
be themselves and not feel like they are still young kids.
The new teen center will be a vibrant, fun place where year round and seasonal Nantucket teenagers can come
together. Whether it’s to do homework, eat pizza, play video games, or just hang out, this space will enable
teens to continue to connect with the Club they love. Through the teen center, we can continue to foster the
right values and strengthen the Nantucket community.
The winters may be long on Nantucket, but with your help, our teens will have a dynamic Club that will meet
all their various interests and needs!
STAY CONNECTED
8. Begin Architectural Drawings March 1st
, 2014
Submit for Building Permits April 15th
, 2014
Pre-construction/Demolition Begins June 1st
, 2014
New Construction Begins July 7th
, 2014
FACILITY OPENS JUNE 1st
, 2015
PROJECT TIMELINE
