At long last, work began this week on Dorchester’s newest facility that will be a game-changer for kids and teens in the city: The FieldHouse+, a collaborative effort by two of this city’s most respected and impactful organizations – the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester (BGCD) and the Martin Richard Foundation. Preliminary site activity started up on Monday on the future home of the $70 million project along Mount Vernon Street on Columbia Point.

An actual groundbreaking will take place in earnest in the new year, according to Bob Scannell, the president and CEO of BGCD, who said partners have raised about 60 percent of the funds needed to finish the project.

“We’ve made significant progress in mobilizing the financial support necessary to turn this big idea into a reality,” said Scannell. “Supporters of The FieldHouse+ have made some of the largest contributions ever directed to a youth-serving project in Boston. We’re grateful that they share in our commitment to this transformative investment in young people throughout our city.” 

Some of the activities that neighbors will notice this week include the installation of fencing and signage around the perimeter of the construction site, the removal of existing structures within the site footprint; and the introduction of new soil that will be used in the early phases of construction.

Bill Richard, co-founder of the Martin Richard Foundation, said the milestone was the result of many years of planning and community engagement.

“Together, we’ve imagined a facility that will bring accessible, flexible, and intentional programming to the next generation of Boston youth. Now, we are ready to build that future together and it starts today with the site work that positions us to break ground next year. We’re excited for what the next several months will bring as we continue our work with existing partners and welcome new supporters.” 

Scannell and Richard said that their team has established “a centralized email address for neighbors and community members and can be contacted at info@fieldhouseplus.org.”

The result of all this effort will be a “transformed space” that will introduce a state-of-the-art, 75,000-square-foot facility to “engage youth in activities beyond just athletics and offer a unified space for kids from different schools, neighborhoods, cultures, and backgrounds to gather, compete and explore together in a safe, engaging environment… Intentionally situated to directly impact nearly 50,000 kids within a 3-mile radius of the site, and with 1,000 Boston Public Schools students directly next door, The FieldHouse+ will support a birth-to-career pipeline of streamlined services.”

There’s still much to do to get this project across the finish line. But this is a moment to celebrate the start of something very special for city kids who’ve long been denied the world-class facility that their suburban peers have at their disposal. Boston deserves this FieldHouse+ — and we are grateful to the city of Boston, BPS, the BGCD, the Martin Richard Foundation, and their generous supporters past, present, and future for making this a reality.