Avenue A Teen Center will soon have a new home, as the New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA) has awarded The Grapevine Family & Community Resource Center with a $1 million forgivable loan through the Community Center Investment Program to support the construction of a permanent teen center.
Avenue A offers programs for teens to develop social and emotional well-being, creative expression, mental wellness, and career and life skills, and the new facility will be an addition to The Grapevine facility at 4 Aiken St. in Antrim.
According to an announcement from The Grapevine, the addition will nearly double Avenue A’s capacity to offer activities for youth – 1,200 to about 2,300 square feet — and allow it to run multiple programs simultaneously, provide accessible outdoor space for learning and recreation, provide safe pedestrian access and parking and improve accessibility with a more open, maneuverable floor plan.
Construction is scheduled to begin in September, and while is has to be done by next August, Grapevine Executive Director Melissa Gallagher said it will likely be completed next spring.
“We have dreamed of an opportunity like this for quite some time,” stated Gallagher. “This award will create a new, safe and accessible environment and true hub of support for teens throughout our region. We are incredibly grateful to the New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority for recognizing the need and great potential for this project. We are also benefiting from matching dollar donor support including The John Vance ACCESS Fund as well as anonymous donor contributions.”
Community Center Investment Program resources support the enhancement of current indoor and outdoor facilities, as well as the construction of new facilities, that have proven to be inclusive, open to the public, and foster a culture of health and well-being in the communities they serve. The program has provided a total of $20 million in resources to community centers across New Hampshire.