A revitalization project – not only of a historic building in downtown Newport, but of a long standing organization that provides support, guidance, and fun to the community’s youth.
Union was selected to guide and design a significant overhaul of the central clubhouse on Church Street in downtown Newport, Rhode Island. The current facility is an assemblage of three distinct buildings realized in different eras. The Thayer School, built with funds from a local merchant, William Sanford Rogers, originally served as the City’s first high school in 1873. It has been home to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County since 1957. Two major additions, a gymnasium and an indoor pool, were completed in the 1960s. Minor renovations and repairs have taken place over the decades in a fragmented patchwork as funds and donations were made available.
“Blueprint for Great Futures” will expand the facility by 8,000 square feet, renovate and restore existing spaces, and upgrade outdated building systems. The project is a holistic reconfiguration with every area being impacted. The process required immense efforts to precisely program the campus to support its wide-ranging community services while being sensitive to the historic school that is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The project will nearly double the number of slots in its vital all-day childcare program from 165 to 281. Club offerings feature daily meals, school transportation, and afterschool programs that focus on health, academic and social success. The refreshed pool and gym will reopen as community amenities accessible to the public.
