Area residents and officials gathered at Resurrection Catholic Church on June 3 for the Boys & Girls Club of Riverview groundbreaking ceremony. From left are Anne Garcia, Joe Garcia, Dan Campo, Diana Campo Ekonomou, Christine Hogan, Earl Lennard and Antonio Diez
Work is under way on a project that will mark the latest step in the development of Riverview.
On June 3, area residents and officials — including Hillsborough County Commissioner Sandy Murman — attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the Boys & Girls Club of Riverview.
The club is located on the grounds of Resurrection Catholic Church, 6819 Krycul Ave., Riverview.
“This marks the start of a great future for Riverview and its kids,” said Lynn Dumais, board chairwoman for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay.
The ceremony marked the start of work on the first two of the three-phase project.
Phase one features a 6,000 square foot building, which will feature areas for tutoring, a computer lab and other recreation space. Phase two is a covered outdoor pavilion for basketball and other activities.
The first two phases are expected to be completed in August to coincide with the start of the fall semester.
“I spent over 40 years working with kids in this county,” said Earl Lennard, former Hillsborough school superintendent and chairman of Riverview Boys & Girls Club leadership team. “In my experience, kids aren’t as prone to trouble or mischief when they are active.”
Work on the first two phases of the Boys & Girls Club of Riverview is scheduled to be completed in August.
Phase three — which involves the closing of the pavilion and building an indoor gymnasium — will begin when the additional required funds are raised. In total, about $1.5 million has been raised for the $3 million project.
The leadership team is presently working toward raising money for a $250,000 matching grant. So far, the team has raised $114,000.
“There are a lot of generous people in Riverview who have stepped up,” said Joe Garcia, board member for the Boys & Girls Club of Tampa Bay.
Once completed, the facility will become the 16th Boys & Girls club in Hillsborough County and will serve up to 150 kids from the Riverview area every day.
“As our community has grown, the need for places for our youngsters has grown as well,” said Lennard, who is the county elections supervisor.
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