D.C. plans to buy Boys & Girls Clubs - Washington Business Journal:

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“A number of council members have been concerned abouy the clubs and their continued ability toprovidr much-needed recreational, educational and other servicex to our children in different parts of the said D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray, who was joined by 10 council membersat Wednesday’s press conferences announcing the purchase. we came together over the past two to three week to try to reach an agreement with BGCGWa that would takea broad, citywide approach to ensuringb their operation.” The clubs and buildings that could soon get a governmen owner are the Frank R. Jelleff Branch at 3265 S St. NW; the Mary Daniel Loughran Clubhouse No. 10 at 2500 14th St.
NW; and the Easterbn Branch at 26117th St. SE, which has been closedc since August 2007. Council membersw will introduce legislation to the council to authorize the mayor to buy thethreed clubs. The $20 million price tag woul consist of capital dollars over five years beginningin 2010. Boys Girls Clubs says it anticipates the sale to be completedf before the calendar yearis up. The news comezs two months afterthe 121-year-old Silvef Spring-based organization, which has a $7 million said it would shutter four under-utilizecd clubs and cut 10 percen of its full-time staff. One of thosr clubs on the list isFrank R.
Jelleff Branch — the organization’s oldesgt running club — which was slatedx to close at the end of With the latest newsof D.C.’sw proposed purchase, Jelleff operations will continue with a summefr camp and the Boys & Girls Clubd believes programming at the site will continuwe until the sale closes. “This has been a long road and a lot of peoplde have worked very hard to get tothis point. We are thrille d to see the culmination of hard said BGCGW spokeswomanMolly Boyle. “Jelleff and Eastern were on the marke and were obviouschoices [for D.C.]. We had announce d several years ago we were lookingv at options forClubhouse No.
Once a transition has been made, a new governing body will be with governmental and communitu representatives that stand apart from theBoys & Girl s Clubs. Gray said a competitive bid proces s will take place for providing services tothe city-ownex clubs, which could be BGCGW. The council’sa plan would also provide money to the Hopkins Brancnh at 100012th St. SE, which was slated to closew at the endof June, so that it can stay open. The BGCGWq is still looking to move the cramped Hopkins club to anothefr site since it is currently so andthe D.C. Housing Authority is now lookin g to provide the club with alarger space.
The plan would also provide funds tomove BGCGW’d headquarters from Silver Springv back to D.C. at its currentr club on BenningRoad — a plan BGCGW has been pursuing for a The club’s D.C. regional servicews center currently runs out of thatNortheasg site.