The Harlem Clubhouse: A Place to Play, Eat and Study
Construction will start next year for Harlem’s first Boys and Girls Clubhouse.
By: Sweenie Saint-Vil
Harlem youth will have a new place to dance, learn to use computers and make music.
Madison Square Boys & Girls Club recently announced that a new 45,000-square-foot facility, to be built near the 155th Street viaduct and Jackie Robinson Park.
The proposed four-story clubhouse will feature a rooftop sports arena, technology labs, tutoring spaces, dining area and production studios.
The group chose the central Harlem location because the neighborhood is home to more than 6,000 children under 18, many of whom have no access to such facilities.
“We are proud to be expanding Madison’s 132-year tradition of serving NYC youth to the Harlem community,” said Joseph Patuleia, executive director of Madison Square Boys & Girls Club. “Our afterschool and summer programs will create a safe space for learning, creativity and overall youth development.”
The Harlem Clubhouse is the organization’s fifth facility, but the first built from the ground up since 1970. The $45 million project will be funded by contributions from community leaders, philanthropists, foundations and corporations.
Construction for the Harlem Clubhouse is scheduled to begin in 2017. Rogers Partners Architect + Urban Designers is designing the building on an existing vacant lot.
“The Boys and Girls Club over here would be excellent,” said Katrina Andrews, 29, who was supervising her three children at Jackie Robinson Park on a recent afternoon. “My son needs afterschool and the recreational center at the Polo Grounds … is full.”
Andrews and other parents who live near or in the Polo Grounds, a public housing complex, sounded happy to have a haven where children can learn and socialize rather than hang out on the street. Linda Bodrick, 65, a retiree, however, understood the concept but wondered whether the facility would actually be used.
“They have one at the Polo Grounds,” Bodrick said. “The times I went over there, it didn’t seem to be that active.”
The Jackie Robinson Recreation Center, located blocks away from the proposed Harlem Clubhouse, offers similar youth activities, but also accommodates other age groups, often resulting in a crowded center.
“When it gets cold out, it’s very busy,” said Jeffrey McFarlane, 61, a recreation specialist at Jackie Robinson. “You need more places with activities. There are so many kids in the area.”
While some Harlem youth believed the new clubhouse would increase productivity and safety for local children, others thought there was no way to escape from the violence.
“I don’t think that they should build it because of the violence that’s over there,” said Miracle Glover, 15, a student at Thurgood Marshall Academy for Learning and Social Change.
Brianna Smith, 14, said that the facility would be great for younger kids, but teenagers would not be willing to attend for long because it would not hold their attention.
The Madison Square Boys & Girls Club, founded in 1884, provides children and teens with recreational programs including, dramatics, sports, lectures and trade classes.
“The Boys & Girls Club program exists in a wonderful world combining play, education and fitness,” said architect Robert M. Rogers, founder of Rogers Partners. “We have designed a facility that allows a child to intuitively understand the opportunities and the choices they can make with their time and effort.”
He said the design includes an open staircase and floors that allow members to always see what’s going on.
“You can see others in action – in leadership meetings, in homework help, or inviting you to join in a game of ping pong,” Rogers said.
(Architectural rendering by Rogers Partners. Photo of site by Sweenie Saint-Vil )