San Marcos celebrates new Boys & Girls Club grand opening

Today, exactly one year after kicking off construction, the City of San Marcos and the Boys & Girls Club of San Marcos celebrated the grand opening and ribbon cutting of its new Walter J. & Betty C. Zable Foundation Branch, located in the Richmar neighborhood of San Marcos. A collaboration between the nonprofit youth organization and the City of San Marcos, the Boys & Girls Club's new 6,000 square foot Clubhouse will serve up to 125 elementary school-aged children each day.

The City of San Marcos' commitment to revitalizing the Richmar neighborhood spans nearly two decades. When the City was looking for the perfect community-focused tenant to occupy a vacant block of commercial space in the Richmar neighborhood, City staff presented the Boys & Girls Club of San Marcos with an incredible offer: a $1 per year, 30-year renewable lease and $1.2 million of additional funding to help pay for the tenant buildout to open a second San Marcos Clubhouse. The funding was made possible through affordable housing grants and the City's allocation of funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

This morning, the San Marcos City Council, the Boys & Girls Club of San Marcos' Board of Directors and key stakeholders toured the completed space, which has been filled with state-of-the-art technology and equipment for local kids to learn, create, explore and play in their own neighborhood.

"We are so excited to celebrate the opening of our new Walter J. & Betty C. Zable Foundation Branch with the partners and community who made it possible," said Cathy Baur, President & CEO for the Boys & Girls Club. "The Clubhouse will have such a positive impact on so many young people in our San Marcos community, helping them develop into stellar citizens of tomorrow."

The Clubhouse will provide youth with safe, engaging spaces with access to the tools and mentors they need to build great futures. The new spaces include:

EDCO Gamesroom: The heart of every Boys & Girls Club, the EDCO Gamesroom provides youth opportunities to learn collaboration and good sportsmanship with a state-of-the-art Exergames T-wall, jumbo foosball table, air hockey and more.

The Alexander & Eva Nemeth Learning Lab: This room is a dedicated space for students to complete their homework with guidance and tutoring from BGCSM staff, equipped with desks, Chromebooks and activities to promote academic success.

North City Tech Center: Furnished withstate-of-the-art technology, the North City Tech Center will provide kids access to computers and coding programs, virtual reality goggles, robotics and other equipment to emphasize principles of STEM.

Maker Space: Encouraging creativity and self-expression through the arts, this space is home to easels, paint, markers, cameras and a green screen wall for youth to incorporate technology into their creative process.

Demonstration Kitchen: Kids will learn about the science of food, basic cooking skills and kitchen safety, as they create delicious, healthy food. A free healthy meal will be provided each day to all members during the afterschool program.

Community Connections Center: This multi-use meeting space features modular furniture and conference equipment, offering the potential to host partners in the community.

To learn more about the Boys & Girls Club of San Marcos, please visit their website.

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