BALTIMORE (June 6, 2024). Today, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Baltimore (BGCMB) broke ground on the Baltimore Ravens Boys & Girls Club at Hilton Recreation Center. The club is anticipated to be completed in September 2025. Plans for the Club were initially revealed in early 2023, with the Baltimore Ravens and the Stephen & Renee Bisciotti Foundation pledging a $20 million advance contribution to kick off the project. Since then, further funding, permitting, and planning have taken place, enabling for today’s groundbreaking.
To date, an additional $12 million has been secured to fund the facility’s construction and long-term operations. Investors include Under Armour, the Davis Family Foundation, the Sherman Family Foundation, the Bunting Family Foundation, the Kahlert Foundation, the T Rowe Price Foundation, the France-Merrick Foundation, the Abell Foundation, the State of Maryland, and a number of individuals and foundations. Fundraising is still ongoing, with $7 million to raise. Once completed, the Club will serve over 2,000 children, teens, and community members. Torrey Smith’s LEVEL82, Baltimore City Recreation and Parks, and Green Street Academy are among the organization’s supporters.
The Club’s plans include a multi-purpose athletic field with sports lighting, a teen lounge, a gym, an art room, a technology room, tutoring areas, a kitchen, and indoor/outdoor community meeting places. BGCMB will offer daily after-school and summer youth activities with four main outcomes for youth: health and well-being, character and leadership, academic success, and life and career readiness. Furthermore, major program partners will offer specific programs based on the needs and wishes of children and adolescents. The new Club, like all BGCMB Club sites, is open to all youth aged 6 to 18 who register.
Under the leadership of the Ravens, BGCMB, LEVEL82, Green Street Academy, and Baltimore City Recreation and Parks collaborated with Whiting Turner, Design Collective, and Cap Ex Advisory Group to bring an exciting vision to reality.
Jeff Breslin, President & CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Baltimore, stated, “Today represents a crucial step toward bringing the Baltimore Ravens Boys & Girls Club to the youngsters and teens of West Baltimore. The generosity of the community and our partners has been tremendous, spearheaded by the Ravens and Steve and Renee Bisciotti.
Following their lead gift, we are delighted and pleased that others, such as the Sherman Family Foundation, have stepped forward to support our endeavor. We will not only build, but also maintain a cutting-edge facility where children and teenagers may study, play, and eventually attain their full potential in a safe and healthy setting. This is a model that only two other NFL cities have established, and we are thrilled that Baltimore will serve as a bright example for other communities and Boys & Girls Clubs across the country.
Sashi Brown, President of the Baltimore Ravens, stated, “This has been a journey began by the generosity of the Bisciotti Foundation, and now this Club will truly begin to take shape and become a reality for this city. Football is a team sport, and this has been an incredible team effort, with so many partners stepping up to support our city’s youngsters. “The next step will be to cut the ribbon on this incredible and special place.”
“The Boys and Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Baltimore make a significant difference in the lives of thousands of young people in our city. This new state-of-the-art leisure center in West Baltimore, thanks to a cooperation with the Ravens and others, will provide opportunities for even more children. Senator Chris Van Hollen, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, stated, “I will continue to work to support the Boys and Girls Clubs’ critical work in Baltimore and throughout our state.”
Larry Rivitz and David Warnock, Co-Founders of Green Street Academy, commented, “Green Street Academy is thrilled to welcome the Baltimore Ravens Boys & Girls Club to West Baltimore as a critical partner in expanding our work with teens, young adults, and their families.”Our varsity athletes and community partners will benefit from the proximity of a turf football field, indoor and outdoor basketball courts, and our school building.
About the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Baltimore: We never use a single technique to help children succeed. It requires loving mentors, such as skilled Club employees. It takes a safe environment, such as our nine Clubs, which are continuously available to the approximately 1,000 members and 1,200 families we assist. And it needs innovative, high-quality initiatives to help young people achieve in school and live healthy, productive lives. We do whatever it takes to ensure that every child has a bright future. www.BGCMetroBaltimore.org
