JCJ Architecture Designs New Boys & Girls Club of Hartford Facility
The New South End Club Will Support More Than 1,500 Local Youth
HARTFORD, CT— July 23rd, 2020 — JCJ Architecture, the forward-thinking and nationally ranked planning, architecture, and interior design firm, is excited to announce that The Boys & Girls Club of Hartford (BGCH)’s South End Club broke ground earlier this month. The socially distanced ceremony marks the beginning of construction and took place alongside state officials, community leaders, and representatives from the Boys and Girls Club on June 11th.
“We are proud to be a partner on this project and are honored to have the opportunity to touch the lives and hearts of the community through design of Hartford’s new South End Club,” says Jim LaPosta, FAIA, Principal and Chief Architectural Officer at JCJ Architecture. “Having worked with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford for over 25 years, it’s exciting to see this major expansion to their network of Clubs. Our goal has been to create an environment where children can thrive and realize their potential, and it is incredibly fulfilling to work with an organization that has had such a profound impact on the lives of children in Hartford, and indeed, youth across America.”
Currently serving 8,000 school age children in Hartford, where the organization was founded, the B&GCH’s new location will reach an additional 1,500 children with a unique mix of after-school and wrap-around programs. JCJ Architecture sought to create a place that would support generations of local families from one dynamic facility, acting as a home-away-from-home for up to nearly one-third of school-age children living in the South End of Hartford and fostering skills and confidence through enrichment and social-emotional development programs.
“Like every organization and family impacted by COVID-19 pandemic, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Hartford had to pause in-person operations to protect our staff and the children and families we serve,” said Sam Gray, BGCH President, and CEO. “Despite the challenges we have all experienced with COVID-19, we have stayed on track with this project and are moving ahead as scheduled with this beautiful new building. It’s so exciting to be able to celebrate the start of construction with the community partners, including the team at JCJ, whose support made the project possible and the South End families for whom we are building this clubhouse.”
Founded in 1860 in Hartford, BGCH is the original and oldest Boys and Girls Clubs in the nation. The new club will be built on land donated by the City of Hartford in Hartford’s South End neighborhood at 129 Ledyard Street. The Boys and Girls Club of Hartford’s South End Club is slated to open in Fall 2021.
About JCJ Architecture
JCJ Architecture is a forward-thinking and nationally ranked planning, architecture and interior design firm offering comprehensive services to clients in the hospitality, gaming, civic, K12 and higher education sectors. Founded in 1936, the employee-owned firm’s mission is to provide innovative design solutions that enhance the environment, enrich people’s lives and help organizations succeed.
With a long-standing reputation for business acumen, project design and delivery excellence, JCJ focuses on bringing the qualities of adaptability, integrity, respect and collaboration to a design process that leverages the unique qualities and potential of each project. JCJ collaborates with clients across the United States from offices located in Boston, Hartford, New York City, Phoenix, San Diego, Tulsa, and Las Vegas. For more information, please visit www.jcj.com.
About the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford
Founded in 1860, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford is the original and oldest BGC in the nation. The club is dedicated to building the values, character and skills young people need to succeed in the 21st Century. Our programs touch the lives of nearly 1 in every 3 children in Hartford Public Schools and provide families with convenient, safe neighborhood-based services at three full-service clubs in Hartford as well as four public school-based sites in Hartford and Bloomfield. In Hartford alone, our dedicated staff and volunteers impact the lives of more than 8,000 kids and teens annually by providing a positive environment and a pathway to opportunities and life-changing programs focused on academic enrichment, character and leadership development, and healthy lifestyles.
