The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Lewis Clark Valley plan to create a kid-friendly and family-centered campus on Normal Hill if the sale of about 7 acres of the old high school property is finalized.
Last week, the Lewiston School Board authorized the sale of the east portion of the campus to the nonprofit organization for $1.3 million, although sale contingencies still need to be met.
Jon Evans, the executive director of Boys and Girls Clubs, said he hopes to start utilizing the property in late October or early November. Building inspections have already begun on the five buildings the clubs plan to purchase, and an appraisal should be completed within the next few weeks.
Evans said the plan includes two phases.
The property, which includes Booth Hall, could be used to expand the Lewiston club’s capacity to serve kids should the Lewiston School District have to implement a hybrid learning model later this year if COVID-19 cases continue to rise. The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Lewis Clark Valley also operates a Clarkston location.
“We don’t have enough capacity in our Lewiston club to meet the needs for families in our communities (if that was to happen),” Evans said. “This property gives us an alternative location to spread out in the short term. We’d have the space to expand in the event the district goes partially or fully virtual.”
But the overall vision includes launching a new, stand-alone club out of Booth Hall to serve families located in the area.
“Part of the long-term plan is not just getting a club presence on campus, but kind of turning that entire campus into a kid-friendly, family-friendly 7-acre campus,” Evans said. “We’d partner with other child care facilities or other entities that work in pre-k or early childhood development.”
Those partners would be able to sublease the other buildings, which include the machine shop, the auto shop, the industrial arts building and the science and math building.
Evans said he’s heard from about six entities who would be interested in that option. The club hopes to have the child-centric campus operational in three to five years.
