Boys & Girls Club Of Ridgefield Set To Receive $2M From State

RIDGEFIELD, CT — The Ridgefield Boys & Girls Club is set to receive $2 million from the state, and it will use the money to construct a new teen center as part of a larger expansion project.

Gov. Ned Lamont included the funding on the State Bond Commission's agenda, and it will be voted on during the commission's scheduled Dec. 21 meeting.

The teen center would have a multipurpose space and technology café, officials said, and it would allow the Club to use existing space for new programs and educational activities.

It's part of a planned 13,000-square-foot addition for the club's 6th to 12th graders. The expansion would be built off of the club's existing gymnasium and would also include a new tween center, The Ridgefield Press reported.

In total, the project would cost $6.5 million, the newspaper said.

The club has raised some of that funding privately over the last several years, said Boys & Girls Club of Ridgefield CEO Mike Flynn, who called the state money "life-changing."

"This project has been a vision of ours for almost 5 years, and the bonding money makes this a dream come true," Flynn said. "We simply cannot thank our state and local leadership enough for all they did to make this possible."

Flynn said the Club can now fund the rest of the project through its "community giving phase," which will begin in January.

Lamont first visited the Boys & Girls Club six months ago, when Ridgefield area politicians brought him for a tour.

"Every child should have access to resources that support their growth and development, and that is why I am proud the state is able to partner with the Boys & Girls Club of Ridgefield to expand its Teen Center and ensure that it can continue providing top-quality services to the community for many years to come," Lamont said.