Boys and Girls Club coming to Marysville this May
Published on Thu, Apr 23, 2009 by Carmell EmoryRead More Local News
The Boys and Girls Club of Snohomish County has found a home in Marysville.
In January the City of Marysville purchased the former 10th Street School and the adjoining baseball field, located at 10th Street between Beach and Cedar, from the Marysville School District for $1.7 million. The 2.5-acre property includes the main building and gymnasium, a total of more than 12,000 square feet, and Rudy Wright Memorial Field.
At the City Council meeting held April 13, Mayor Dennis Kendall signed a $500 per month lease agreement with the Boys and Girls Club, which will go through the end of the year.
City attorney Grant Weed commented on the lease agreement, saying, "The Boys and Girls Club is a non-profit entity that will benefit the children and benefit the community. That is why we can offer them rent for below the market rate."
The club will occupy the building in late April and will begin offering activities as soon as the first week in May. The Boys and Girls Club offer services to youth that range from sports and artistic activities to programs geared to character and leadership development.
In announcing the city's decision to purchase the former school facility, Kendall noted that the immediate neighborhoods include several apartment complexes, duplexes, residences and low-income households that are occupied by families with young children and teens. The occupancy by the Boys and Girls Club will give them a place to call their own, offering programs, recreation, and a safe place to go during after-school hours and on weekends.
"A lot of parents are commuting nowadays, and they want to know that their children have a safe and positive place to learn, recreate and to be mentored," said Kendall. "The Boys and Girls Club will be able to offer programs on a limited scale initially, inspiring young people and having an influencing impact on their lives, which is what their organization does so well."
For Marysville youth, the nearest Boys and Girls Club is in Smokey Point, Tulalip or Everett. The new Marysville location will give children a chance to stay in their own neighborhoods and interact with their peers.
The 10th Street property has a storied history in Marysville, according to Doug Buell, Community Information Officer. In 1906 voters approved a $6,000 bond to build the city's first high school there. Marysville High School opened a year later, with a graduating class of two students. It was only used as a high school until 1914, then reopened as the Marysville YMCA in the early 1960s. The building was transferred to the school district in the 1990s when the existing YMCA opened on 60th Dr. NE.
The building's most recent resident, the music-oriented 10th Street School, relocated to the Marysville Secondary Campus at 27th Avenue NE in Tulalip when that campus opened in May 2008.
City leaders are seeking state capital budget funding from the legislature to make improvements to the historic facility.
"It will take a lot of people and groups in the community to pull this together, but it will be a worthwhile investment in our youth," Kendall said.
The mayor hopes to renew the lease contract with the Boys and Girls Club before the end of the year.
Captions: Following the purchase of the property that includes the former 10th Street School and the baseball field at 10th and Cedar, the City of Marysville held a rededication ceremony in honor of fallen firefighter Rudy Wright on Saturday, April 18. The new signage for Rudy Wright Memorial Park now sports the city's logo. Mayor Dennis Kendall, perched high above the Little Leaguers in a ladder truck boom, threw out a ceremonial pitch and the league presented City Councilmembers with a plaque in gratitude for the city's continued commitment to youth sports.
In January the City of Marysville purchased the former 10th Street School and the adjoining baseball field, located at 10th Street between Beach and Cedar, from the Marysville School District for $1.7 million. The 2.5-acre property includes the main building and gymnasium, a total of more than 12,000 square feet, and Rudy Wright Memorial Field.
At the City Council meeting held April 13, Mayor Dennis Kendall signed a $500 per month lease agreement with the Boys and Girls Club, which will go through the end of the year.
City attorney Grant Weed commented on the lease agreement, saying, "The Boys and Girls Club is a non-profit entity that will benefit the children and benefit the community. That is why we can offer them rent for below the market rate."
The club will occupy the building in late April and will begin offering activities as soon as the first week in May. The Boys and Girls Club offer services to youth that range from sports and artistic activities to programs geared to character and leadership development.
In announcing the city's decision to purchase the former school facility, Kendall noted that the immediate neighborhoods include several apartment complexes, duplexes, residences and low-income households that are occupied by families with young children and teens. The occupancy by the Boys and Girls Club will give them a place to call their own, offering programs, recreation, and a safe place to go during after-school hours and on weekends.
"A lot of parents are commuting nowadays, and they want to know that their children have a safe and positive place to learn, recreate and to be mentored," said Kendall. "The Boys and Girls Club will be able to offer programs on a limited scale initially, inspiring young people and having an influencing impact on their lives, which is what their organization does so well."
For Marysville youth, the nearest Boys and Girls Club is in Smokey Point, Tulalip or Everett. The new Marysville location will give children a chance to stay in their own neighborhoods and interact with their peers.
The 10th Street property has a storied history in Marysville, according to Doug Buell, Community Information Officer. In 1906 voters approved a $6,000 bond to build the city's first high school there. Marysville High School opened a year later, with a graduating class of two students. It was only used as a high school until 1914, then reopened as the Marysville YMCA in the early 1960s. The building was transferred to the school district in the 1990s when the existing YMCA opened on 60th Dr. NE.
The building's most recent resident, the music-oriented 10th Street School, relocated to the Marysville Secondary Campus at 27th Avenue NE in Tulalip when that campus opened in May 2008.
City leaders are seeking state capital budget funding from the legislature to make improvements to the historic facility.
"It will take a lot of people and groups in the community to pull this together, but it will be a worthwhile investment in our youth," Kendall said.
The mayor hopes to renew the lease contract with the Boys and Girls Club before the end of the year.
Captions: Following the purchase of the property that includes the former 10th Street School and the baseball field at 10th and Cedar, the City of Marysville held a rededication ceremony in honor of fallen firefighter Rudy Wright on Saturday, April 18. The new signage for Rudy Wright Memorial Park now sports the city's logo. Mayor Dennis Kendall, perched high above the Little Leaguers in a ladder truck boom, threw out a ceremonial pitch and the league presented City Councilmembers with a plaque in gratitude for the city's continued commitment to youth sports.
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