Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Ohio

New Markets Tax Credit Financing Expands Boys & Girls Clubs of Central
Ohio Facilities and Services at The Champion Companies Milo-Grogan
Clubhouse

Finance Fund’s New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) financing was key to the new
construction of Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Ohio (BGCCO)’s newest facility,
the Champion Companies Milo-Grogan Clubhouse, which will serve 300 youth
with year-round programming in the Milo-Grogan neighborhood located north
of Downtown Columbus.

Youth members of the Clubhouse will experience after-school programming
during the schoolyear as well as all-day programming in the summer. The
facility will support BGCCO staff as they endeavor to enable young people to
reach their full potential.

Finance Fund provided $8,000,000 of federal NMTC allocation for the project.
The new Champion Companies Milo-Grogan Clubhouse will feature learning
labs, a full-sized gymnasium, a kitchen and dining area, and a career center
for teens. Outdoor amenities will include bike racks, outdoor seating,
and greenspace that will serve as a catalyst for neighborhood pride and
development.

“Finance Fund helped us ensure full funding a Champion Companies Milo-
Grogan Clubhouse worthy of the young people we serve.”
– Doug Wolf, CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Ohio

BGCCO staff plans to implement CareerLaunch at the new Champion
Companies Milo-Grogan Clubhouse, a job-readiness and career preparation
program specifically designed for teen members. Teens will explore careers,
build soft and technical skills required for entry-level positions and beyond,
and ultimately find job placement with local employers through existing BGCCO
partnerships.

According to the Milo-Grogan Neighborhood Plan, the neighborhood was once
home to many manufacturing, automobile, and rail industry jobs due to its
location along the Pennsylvania Railroad. The construction of I-71 through
the neighborhood during the 1960s, coupled with the subsequent collapse in
demand for products manufactured in the community, led to tough economic
realities for residents that have rippled across recent decades. U.S. Census
data indicates that the community served by the Champion Companies Milo-
Grogan Clubhouse experiences a poverty rate of 45% and an unemployment
rate of 19%, which is over twice the national unemployment rate.

As a result of BGCCO programs and services in Milo-Grogan, local youth have
achieved success in fulfilling careers leading to self-sufficiency. The Champion
Companies Milo-Grogan Clubhouse will be a place where young people can
recognize and pursue their full potential.

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