LYNN — As the former Lynn superintendent of schools, Dr. Patrick Tutwiler served on the board of directors of the Boys & Girls Club of Lynn (BGCL), giving him an insider’s view of the critical role the club plays in enhancing the lives of its members.
As the secretary of education in Massachusetts, Tutwiler has an even deeper appreciation for the club, which he shared Thursday morning at a rebuilding ceremony for Phase 2 of a complete rehabilitation of the facility.
“I know what goes on in this building,” Tutwiler told a gathering of club staff, members, elected officials, donors and construction contractors. “I have a deep understanding of how young people learn, develop and grow. I embrace the most robust models, which include the substantive experiences students have in school, but also what happens after school and in the summer months. What I’ve seen here reflects the best of that.”
Phase 1, a $7 million renovation, was completed in 2020. Phase 2 is a $20 million project expected to be done late in 2026. Nick Meninno of Meninno Construction, BGCL board member and co-chair of the Building to the Future subcommittee, said the first steel will be placed around Thanksgiving and from the point it will take about a year to finish.
The back section of the club has been removed and will be replaced by a new wing that will be three floors to match the front. In addition to a new gym and new pool, there will be a full cafeteria with an industrial kitchen, fitness room, two additional licensed childcare classrooms, and a dance and theater room. The new teen space will provide opportunities for college preparation, career readiness, community service and club service.
“I believe this is going to shift the idea of the Boys & Girls Club being a landing place for kids after school and in the summer to a place that is a springboard to the lives they envision for themselves,” Tutwiler said. “It is really that important. People make programs, but facilities do matter. This is going to be facility worthy of the young people of Lynn and the staff working in it.”
Mayor Jared C. Nicholson called the project a “huge win for City of Lynn. The Boys & Girls Club is such a critical institution for the city and young people, and therefore its future,” he said. “We are so proud of what happens during the school day, but we know that’s just part of students’ day.”
Calling Lynn an “amazing city,” the mayor acknowledged that “we also experience significant challenges and they are 24/7. … The city needs to be there for our young people 24/7. We can’t do that without partners like the Boys & Girls Club.”
BGCL Executive Director Brian Theirrien called the club a “place that means so much to so many kids,” thanking donors present including Tom Demakes and the Solimine Family for supporting a project that will allow the club to accommodate 300-400 more youth.
Theirrien said the club has raised $12.5 million for the project thus far, leaving about one-third left to be raised over the next year. He added that former New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman will be the featured guest at the club’s annual gala on Oct. 16.
For Kevin McGrath of Connolly Construction, serving as superintendent of the building project, it holds special meaning as someone who was a BGCL member when he was growing up in Lynn.
“My three brothers (Pat, Tom and John) and I grew up a half-mile from here, and we were all members of the club,” McGrath said. “Everyone remembers the bowling alley. It was a dime a string. The (pin) setter got a nickel and the club got a nickel.”
McGrath, who retired after a 40-year career in the construction industry, was happy to take on this project.
“Being a Lynn guy, it means a lot,” he said. “My brother Pat is a developer in Lynn. My brother Tom is a plumber in the city. We have a lot of friends and family still in Lynn. That’s one of the reasons I came out of retirement to do this job in Lynn with a good group of contractors. It’s all about Lynn pride. You always want to come back to your roots and contribute to the community.”
Sen. Brendan Crighton announced that the Boys & Girls Club received a $375,000 appropriation from the state’s Fair Share Supplemental Budget. The Lynn delegation filed it as an amendment which was adopted, Crighton said.
BGCL Board of Directors President Adriana Moschella said “it takes a village” to successfully complete a project of this scope, noting the new facility will “change lives” of the members it serves.
Thursday’s event was ably emceed by Rep. Dan Cahill, a longtime advocate for the club. Club member Zoey Berry read a blessing for the new club.
A crowd gathers for the groundbreaking ceremony of Phase 2 of the Boys & Girls Club of Lynn's expansion on Thursday.
A crowd gathers for the groundbreaking ceremony of Phase 2 of the Boys & Girls Club of Lynn's expansion on Thursday.
State Rep. Dan Cahill welcomes the crowd to the groundbreaking ceremony for Phase 2 of the Boys & Girls Club of Lynn expansion project on Thursday.
Tom Demakes is acknowledged for his contributions to the Boys & Girls Club of Lynn during the groundbreaking ceremony for Phase 2 of the club's expansion on Thursday.
Massachusetts Secretary of Education Dr. Patrick Tutwiler commends the work being done to expand the Boys & Girls Club of Lynn.
State Sen. Brendan Crighton speaks during the groundbreaking ceremony for Phase 2 of the Boys & Girls Club of Lynn expansion project on Thursday.
Nick Meninno of Meninno Construction, BGCL board member and co-chair of the Building to the Future subcommittee, said the first steel will be placed around Thanksgiving and from the point it will take about a year to finish.
Helmets and shovels rest in the sand during Lynn Boys & Girls Club's groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday.
BGCL Board of Directors President Adriana Moschella hopes the new facility will “change lives” of the members it serves.
BGCL Executive Director Brian Theirrien thanks the donors and team that made Phase 2 of the club's expansion possible.
As state Rep. Dan Cahill looks on, BGCL member Zoey Berry reads a blessing as construction gets underway for Phase 2 of the club's expansion.
Boys & Girls Club member Jedana Charles throws a shovel-full of sand during the groundbreaking ceremony for Phase 2 of BGCL's expansion project on Thursday.
From left, state Rep.'s Dan Cahill, Jenny Armini, and Sean Reid, Massachusetts Secretary of Education Dr. Patrick Tutwiler, Lynn Mayor Jared Nicholson, and state Sen. Brendan Crighton throw shovels of sand during the groundbreaking ceremony for Phase 2 of the Boys & Girls Club of Lynn's expansion project on Thursday.
