By Adam Swift
The city is looking to partner with the Boys & Girls Club of Boston to bring a teen center to Chelsea.
“The city acquired 440 Broadway from the Salvation Army in 2017 with the intention of revitalizing the site for community benefit,” stated City Manager Fidel Maltez. “Since then, we have worked closely with a developer to bring forward a transformative project that includes 29 affordable home ownership condominiums.”
Over the past year, Maltez said the city has focused on bringing a dedicated teen center to the ground floor of the space.
“For many years, the City Council has asked for safe, enriching, and accessible spaces for Chelsea’s teens,” said Maltez. “A Teen Center on Broadway is, in every sense, a ‘dream come true.’ It sits in the heart of our downtown, within walking distance of our middle schools, and only a short distance from Chelsea High School.”
To identify the right partner to operate the center, the city issued a request for proposals for a long-term lease of the space, and selected the Boys & Girls Club of Boston.
“The Boys & Girls Club has a longstanding history in Chelsea,” said Maltez. “The Jordan club has demonstrated its deep commitment to our young people consistently.”
The city manager said that while there is still a significant amount of work to do, the milestone represents a major step forward.
“We have begun discussions with the Boys & Girls Club regarding a potential long-term lease,” said Maltez. “The lease will likely exceed three years and will require City Council approval. The City may need to support construction to ensure that the Center can open as soon as possible.”
Maltez said there will be additional information about the project and the lease in the coming months.
District 6 Councilor Giovanni Recupero said the teen center will be a good thing for the city, but noted that the city is still looking for space for a potential community center that would be open for all the city’s residents.
Maltez said city officials toured the Mattapan Boys & Girls Club, which is a similar size to the Chelsea space. He said the first floor space is about 4,000 square feet and would be open just to teenagers. Maltez added that a potential all-ages community center would likely be larger to encompass more programs.
While teens would need a membership to use the teen center, Maltez said the Boys & Girls Club memberships are free.