Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley, charter school plan campus in Phoenix’s Metrocenter area
May 21, 2022, 5:00 AM
Urban core of Metrocenter redevelopment plans (RSP Architects Rendering)
(RSP Architects Rendering)
PHOENIX — The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley and charter school Vista College Preparatory announced plans on Friday to open a campus at the reimagined Metrocenter area in north Phoenix.
The organizations said in a press release the adaptive reuse of a 64,000-square-foot commercial building at 21st and Peoria avenues would open in August and house a Club and a K-8 grade school.
“The Metrocenter area’s renaissance created a unique opportunity to bring a high-quality charter school and Boys & Girls Club into this community,” Marcia Mintz, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley’s president and CEO, said in the release.
“We look forward to bringing our signature afterschool and summer programs to kids and families who live and work in the Metro North neighborhood and those who will be moving to the area.”
The campus expects to provide tuition-free education to 820 students by 2025, the organizations said, starting off with kindergarten through second and fifth grades before adding a grade level each year.
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“Opening this school and club together will give parents an opportunity to enroll their student in a high-performing school and an after school program that will meet the needs of working parents,” Mintz said.
The Boys & Girls Club at the facility, which is the first in the Metrocenter community, will offer after school, summer, and sports and recreation programs, according to the release.
It will first only be available to students of the charter school at the facility, but then expand to kids in the greater community over time.
“We expect that the Metro North Branch will be like our other clubs – a second home where kids can get academic support and explore the arts, STEM, and sports in ways that advance their learning and build their social-emotional skills,” Mintz said.
“The new club will also give parents peace of mind by providing a healthy and safe afterschool experience for their kids.”
Children at the club will also be provided with a snack and a hot dinner, the organizations said.
After being a top destination in Phoenix through the 1970s and 80s, the Metrocenter mall shuttered in June 2020 after years of struggles.
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