WAUSAU – The Boys & Girls Club of the Wausau Area will break ground on a $2 million facility renovation and program expansion of its Caroline S. Mark site in late September.
Opened in 2001, the Caroline S. Mark Site, 1710 N. Second St., Wausau, is one of three locations the Boys & Girls Club operates in the greater Wausau area and serves as the organization’s flagship program site and administrative headquarters.
The renovation will double existing STEM, art, academic and sensory-friendly spaces and create:
- An 8,500-square-foot elementary program center
- A 10,000-square-foot teen commons and academic center
- Dedicated counseling offices for career, workforce and post-secondary planning
- A multipurpose dance and fitness studio
The expanded and renovated site will also be home to a new state-of-the-art Impact 100 Greater Wausau Teaching Kitchen.
“The Caroline S. Mark Club Site is truly a community treasure and we are thrilled to launch this significant investment in its future,” said Boys & Girls Club Board President Candy Thurs in a news release. “A renovated and expanded Caroline S. Mark Site will continue to serve as the focal point for community involvement in the lives of young people and their families. This summer alone, the Boys & Girls Club collaborated with more than 75 businesses and organizations to provide comprehensive programing to hundreds of young people each day. The renovated facility will allow for continued and increased collaboration with our community and business partners.”
This expansion and renovation will allow the Boys & Girls Club of the Wausau Area to increase daily attendance by expanding services to additional grade levels and supporting increased capacity and program services, including academic, workforce development, STEM, art, healthy lifestyle, good character and leadership development.
Fundraising for the construction project is nearly complete, however, meaningful opportunities for businesses and individuals to invest in this generational project are available. Information can be found at www.bgclub.com/club-renovations.
Construction will begin in October with a rededication and celebration slated for April 2022, in conjunction with Boys & Girls Club of the Wausau Area’s 25th Anniversary.
