MUSKEGON, Mich. — Boys & Girls Club of the Muskegon Lakeshore will host a groundbreaking ceremony for its new Clubhouse at 900 West Western in Muskegon. The ceremony will be held on Tuesday, September 6 from 4:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m.
The new Clubhouse is expected to double its capacity to serve area youth. The goal is to also re-establish the facility as Muskegon County’s community center for anyone to use.
After renovations, The Clubhouse will continue to house the Neal Fitness Center, an aquatics center, the Bob & Merle Scolnik Boys & Girls Club, Shape Corp Teen Zone, and i’move. There will also be an administration wing offering shared office space for community partners.
The renovations will also include multiple universal changing rooms with lockers and showers, fitness studios, a state-of-the-art STEM lab, outdoor recreation areas, a youth fishing pier, and a commercial kitchen. There will also be an update of the HVAC system and the addition of a geothermal energy source.
While work is being done, The Clubhouse will be shut down. Services within the facility will be temporarily relocated to the following locations:
- Boys & Girls Club services will move to All Shores Wesleyan Church (1050 West Southern Avenue).
- Neal Fitness Center group classes and all administrative offices will move to Kingdom Life Church (1215 Apple Avenue).
- NFC (weights and cardio) and i’move will move to Fresh Coast Alliance Training Center at 1128 Roberts Street.
The Clubhouse first opened as a fitness center in 1979. Boys & Girls Club of the Muskegon Lakeshore purchased the building in May 2021.
“After visiting the building many times over the years, I am looking forward to the space being reimagined and updated to fit the current needs of our community,” said Boys & Girls Club of the Muskegon Lakeshore CEO Monica Turnbull. “The Clubhouse will be a welcoming place for all to swim, workout, learn new things, and be their authentic self through the Boys & Girls Club and the Neal Fitness Center.”
“For almost 50 years, this address has been hugely important as a community resource,” said Boys & Girls Club of the Muskegon Lakeshore Board President DJ Hilson. “This project ensures it will continue to be that for Muskegon long into the future, while adding the game changer function of giving Muskegon County kids and our community a world class Clubhouse and waterfront home.”
The groundbreaking ceremony for the renovations will be held on Tuesday September 6. The project is expected to be completed in Fall 2023.
