Groundbreaking this week at Mt. Vernon Street site

The Fieldhouse+ project on Columbia Point has been a dream drawn on paper for seven years now, but the facility was brought into three-dimensional view on Monday in the form of a model revealed to project partners just ahead of a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday morning that will kick off the start of construction.

RODE Architects principal Kevin Deabler and his team hosted Bill Richard, co-founder of the Martin Richard Foundation, and Bob Scannell, president and CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Dorchester (BGCD), at a viewing of the full-scale model of the $70 million, 75,000-square-foot facility that will rise on Mt. Vernon Street starting this spring.

The project is a collaboration between BGCD, the Martin Richard Foundation, and the City of Boston.

4337 –
Kevin Deabler, center, of RODE Architects, shows off some of the design features to project partners Bill Richard, left, of the Martin Richard Foundation, and Bob Scannell, of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Dorchester. Seth Daniel photo

The event on Thursday was expected to feature many elected officials, including US Sen. Ed Markey, Congressman Stephen Lynch, Gov. Healey, Mayor Wu, Dorchester Rep. Dan Hunt, and other key state and local officials.

“It’s important to celebrate milestones and this week is an important milestone,” said Bill Richard. “We feel confident that it’s going to be life changing for young people in the community and beyond and bring young people from outside to Dorchester so we can show off our little secret.

“This facility, like Dorchester, will be a melting pot for everyone to come…There’s a certain pride associated with it and not wanting to settle for anything less than the best.”

The Fieldhouse+ team, which has been hard at work fundraising for the project, reported they have just gone beyond the 60 percent mark for the costs. That said, Scannell noted that they needed to get the final 40 percent in hand, and he hoped the groundbreaking and the new model would attract new partners.

The team from RODE Architects gathered around the full-scale architectural model of The Fieldhouse+ project on Monday during a preview for project partners ahead of Thursday’s groundbreaking ceremony. Seth Daniel photo

“We cut no corners,” said Scannell. “This is absolutely first-rate. Bill and I were steadfast in that. We kept thinking, ‘Why should be kids in Dorchester get shortchanged?’ … but that means we still have a lot of work to do in fundraising and finding good partners.”

Scannell emphasized that the Fieldhouse+ is for the greater community of Dorchester and beyond – and will play host to tournaments for all kinds of sports and activities. He said the project is not just for BGCD, but also for the students at the abutting Ruth Batson Academy, who will have all-day access, and for adults who wish to take a variety of class or use the walking track in the off-hours.

“It will serve a lot of kids from the Club, but more than that, the greater community,” he said. “All three of our facilities are at capacity and the need is enormous…Right now we have 4,000 members that we serve. This will add 5,000 to that, and we think that is a conservative number. That’s going to be an enormous impact.”

With the final design completed, and a building permit in hand, Deabler said, the architects have designed a space that will serve the community and brighten up the area.

“This building is going to light up Mt. Vernon Street,” he said. “It will be an industrial looking facility with the outside materials, but people are going to be drawn to the lighting. It grabs you. You don’t have to say anything. You’re walking to that lighted core.”

Kevin Deabler, of RODE Architects, previews The Fieldhouse+ architectural model with Bob Scannell, president and CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Dorchester (BGCD). Seth Daniel photo

He added that the 3-D model unveiling was important for the partners to see how things will really look and to talk out any ideas they might have. That also goes for those at the groundbreaking and those who will observe construction over the next few months.

“I think the reason we build models is to have conversations with each other,” he said. “The presence of all the technology means we can make things realistic on the computer without any effort. But it isn’t real space like in a scale model where you can understand the quality of space you’re building.

“I wanted to make sure people coming to our groundbreaking this week, and then after, understand exactly what’s happening…This is a building that’s going up 70 feet,” he added.

The final design includes a spacious entrance and outdoor piazza facing Mt. Vernon Street, with a large glass-walled theatre and auditorium above. The main building will feature recording studios, a teaching kitchen, classrooms, a sensory room, conference rooms, and places to practice with musical instruments.

The massive structure will also feature two levels – the first with two wooden-floored basketball courts and the second floor with a full turf field. It is envisioned that athletes will use the large field for indoor baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, soccer, field hockey, and for batting practice using batting cages.

Outside will feature another basketball court in the rear of the site. The project will also be a beacon for activities and athletics for those with physical and mental disabilities, building on the existing accessibility-friendly Challenger League.

“This will be like the Challenger League on steroids,” noted Richard.

After Thursday’s pomp and circumstance, Deabler said, construction crews from the contractor Lee Kennedy will move in and begin foundation work.

“You’re going to see a lot of work,” he said. “There’s a lot of weight in the building. The site has been pre-loaded to stabilize the soil. We are on tricky soil, but obviously there are buildings all over the place around us. So, we will be using pressure injected footings, which you will see going in soon. They will support the base of the building, which is heavy.”

On Monday, while looking over the model and taking stock of all of the spaces, Scannell and Richard noted the milestone, and the dreams that brought them there.

“These inside spaces are important, and they are where you meet friends and neighbors and form lasting relationships…That’s why these inside spaces matter and why we are dreaming big,” said Richard.

A look into the basketball courts with a walking track on the first floor of the fieldhouse, with half of the large indoor turf field above it. Seth Daniel photo