Envisioned East Austin Boys And Girls Club Coming Against Opposition

EAST AUSTIN, TX -- The NIMBY concept -- "Not In My Back Yard" -- is alive and well in East Austin.

While many see the benefit of a new Boys and Girls Club to benefit local children, others have expressed concerns over resulting increased traffic the site might create. The site is planned for the corner of Turner Lane and Springdale.

At the last city council meeting, Austin officials gave preliminary approval for a zoning change in order to make the center a reality. Construction of the 32,000-square-foot facility will again be discussed during the April 14 meeting of the Austin City Council.

At stake is a potentially transformative amenity for area youth, one that also could end generational poverty cycles, the group's top executive said.

“The past 10 years, the fastest growing demographic in Travis County has been kids living in poverty,” Boys and Girls Club’s Chief Executive Officer Mark Kiester said, as reported by KXAN-TV. “Those kids that come from poverty have a tendency to stay in poverty unless there is some meaningful programming done with them as they grow up. It’s not just the Boys and Girls Clubs.”

The East Austin location would cater to some 250 children daily. Kiester noted the added uniqueness of the envisioned site in East Austin would be that it would remain open through the summer months, giving children a safe place to play and learn during the sweltering Texas summer.

Among the site's various amenaties: would be a baseball field; tennis court; basketball courts; soccer field; library; a STEM lab for learning the science, technology, engineering and math subjects; a learning center; game room; kitchen; and more.