Construction on the Dovercourt Boys and Girls Club's eagerly anticipated second floor is set to begin shortly after Labour Day weekend and is expected to be complete by the spring of 2011.
The start of construction marks the end of a six-year capital campaign, called Through the Roof, to raise $1.5 million - a goal the club has exceeded, according to operations manager Justin Hanna. "It's an exciting time," said Hanna. "This project is important to not only our members, but the community and the city."Once complete, the club, at 180 Westmoreland Ave., will boast more than 5,000 extra square feet comprised of five new components: a greenhouse, a theatre-dance studio, a planetarium and science room, a teen lounge and a computer lab. What's more, is that the club, which was founded in 1957 and has provided affordable adult, after-school and camp programs to more than 30,000 people, will be able to open an additional 150 to 200 spaces in its after-school and youth camps. "Six to eight years ago, we had surveys done of our membership," said Hanna. "We listed a bunch of ideas and also asked parents what they wanted to see. The greenhouse will allow us to introduce green programming into our camps and after-school programs."During the construction period, the staff and children must vacate the premises. Its day care will relocate to rental space at the Salvation Army at 789 Dovercourt Rd. while the after-school programs, from 3:30 to 6 p.m., will take place at St. Anthony's School.Hanna called the club's capital campaign a good example of a private and public partnership. On Aug. 30, the club announced it will be awarded a $185,000 grant from the City of Toronto. These funds will go toward modernizing the existing building while bringing it up to code, said Hanna. The club credits Davenport Councillor Adam Giambrone and his staff for their "steadfast support" and calls his office one of its biggest supporters. "We were $185,000 short to do our first floor and the councillor's office took that information and put forward a motion at city council to award us a grant," said Hanna.The club received a big boost from such supporters as pop singer and Grammy winner Nelly Furtado, who used to live on Crystal Avenue and spent much of her teen years in the neighbourhood. Furtado was named the honourary children's ambassador for the club's Through the Roof and Second Story campaign. She joins the long list of celebrities, professional and Olympic athletes, even royalty who have walked through the doors of Dovercourt Boys and Girls Club. In the six years since the club embarked on its capital campaign, it has received numurous donations and pledges from prominent businesses and individuals who believe in its cause. In 2009, the Dovercourt Boys and Girls Club was also the recipient of more than $1 million in economic stimulus funds through Canada's Economic Action Plan.