For over 60 years, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Santa Monica (SMBGC) facility at 1220 Lincoln Blvd. has become a true bedrock of the Santa Monica community, serving children across the city through after school and summer programs. Heading into the clubs’ 80th year in the city, the organization will be transitioning from its iconic location to a to-be-determined modernized facility.
The nonprofit has recently announced plans to sell the land parcels on Lincoln that houses a club and its administrative offices, and will eventually relocate to a new facility within the city. Both the selling and relocation processes are running concurrently, and the transition began in January when elementary-aged students shifted after school program attendance to their respective school campuses.
SMBGC Chief Executive Officer Brynja Seagren stated that a number of options were considered for the Lincoln location over the past four years, with in-depth analysis and expert consultation resulting in a decision to move facilities rather than make renovations to the older facility. Seagren added that the "heart of the decision" was a "commitment" to be in places where kids are located, determining that the group cannot serve as many kids in Downtown Santa Monica as in other potential spots.
"We really looked at the demographics of the community … and it just didn’t appear like anytime in the near future, there would actually be enough kids for us to serve in that facility," Seagren told the Daily Press. "We have this huge, exciting opportunity with the support of our board to say, what does the next 80 years look like? Where do we want to be? What do we want the building to look like and how can we best serve the needs of kids in Santa Monica? So [it’s] definitely rooted in kids, definitely rooted in data, a lot of diligence and looking towards the future."
The search for a new facility is ongoing, but SMBGC desires at least a two-block parcel of land and is currently working with an architectural firm to determine "the programmatic needs" of local youth. Two essential items will be a new gymnasium as well as requisite technology that can adapt to the modern child lifestyle.
"[We’re] really trying to think about what does after school look like for kids in 2024 and beyond, because this is going to be the location that we live in for a long time," Seagren said.
While elementary-aged students have moved their after school activities elsewhere, the Lincoln location will remain serving middle school and high school students, as well as a basketball league and other athletic opportunities both in the gymnasium and in outdoor space. Seagren noted that the transition has gone well thus far, and that the community "has understood" the reasoning behind the move.
"We’ll continue to serve as long as we can, and we want to do so in a way that supports families and also gives us flexibility based on the timeline of the project," Seagren added.
At full capacity, the Lincoln facility served upwards of 200 children at a time while becoming a community cornerstone. The gradual moving process, Seagren said, will give locals an opportunity to host events honoring the impact of the thousands of kids that have come through the SMBGC doors.
