Las Cruces Boys & Girls Club buys property for new home
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EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The Boys & Girls Club of Las Cruces (BGCLC) has finalized the purchase of a piece of property that will serve as the club’s new primary location.
The property, located at 1005 El Paseo Rd., was the former Video 4 Theater owned by Allen Theatres.
The new facility will allow the club to at least triple the amount of youth served daily, according to a news release sent out by BGCLC.
Plans call for a new 30,000-square-foot building that will include a state-of-the-art STEM lab, a full-sized gymnasium, a separate wing for teen club members and areas focused on the arts. The new facility is part of a city-wide initiative to revitalize the El Paseo corridor, according to the news release.
The club said it was one of nine non-profit recipients selected by the City of Las Cruces to receive ARPA funding, in the amount of $1.388 million, which helped to make this purchase possible.
The Boys & Girls Club’s board of directors and CEO are preparing to launch the “Building Great Futures” $8 to $10 million dollar capital campaign this spring to renovate and expand the property to meet the needs of current club members and plan for the future needs of the community’s youth, according to the news release.
The property was originally for sale by Allen Theatres for $1.5 million. The Allen family, long-time supporters of the Boys & Girls Club of Las Cruces, offered the Club an $800,000 in-kind donation, dropping the selling price to $700,000 for the organization, according to the news release.
“The Club has been an incredible resource for kids in our community,” said Russell Allen, president of Allen Theatres, Inc. “We remember when club members would come on field trips to Video 4 on Tuesdays during the summer months to watch free movies we offered. It’s fitting that the building should continue to benefit our community’s youth.”
Kayla Fikany, Boys & Girls Club board president, said: “The Allen family’s generosity has allowed us to forge ahead with the capital campaign and work to give our kids the club they deserve. The club is a ‘home away from home’ for these children and teens, and we are committed to building the infrastructure to expand to ensure as many youth as possible have access to our programs.”
The club’s current building, previously a Presbyterian Church, is located at 330 W. Las Cruces Ave. It has operated as the home for after-school and summer programs since 1965.
At just over 6,800 square feet, the facility has limited the amount of youth served and the building’s age has caused “multiple challenges,” according to the news release.
The new facility will enable the club to provide the technology and tools to help members achieve 21st-century success, the club added.
For more information on the Building Great Futures Capital Campaign and the Boys & Girls Club of Las Cruces, contact Ashley Echavarria at (575) 526-1519 or ashley@bgclascruces.org
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