DANBURY – The Boys & Girls Club is officially coming to Danbury in the form of The Clubhouse as part of an expansion of the Boys & Girls Club of Ridgefield. It is due to open in January 2026.
The Clubhouse, which will be located at the former Boughton Street YMCA, serves school-aged children in grades 1- 12 with a variety of programs and services to help them learn, grow, and thrive.
The expansion is made possible through Danbury Mayor Roberto Alves’ pledge of $50,000 of cannabis tax revenue. “As a strong supporter of our youth, I believe the Danbury Clubhouse represents exactly the kind of investment our community deserves,” said Mayor Alves.
The Clubhouse will occupy the former community center building owned by CIFC at 12 Boughton Street.
The full-time Clubhouse will offer more young people access to a safe, welcoming, and enriching environment. According to their website, the Boys & Girls Club of Ridgefield is a youth activity center designed to offer programs for school-aged children after school and during vacations in five core areas: The Arts, Character & Leadership, Education, Health & Life Skills, and Sports, Fitness & Recreation.
The organization’s mission is to “inspire and enable all young people to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens.” Programming will operate after-school, during school vacations, and throughout the summer.
“The opening of the Danbury Clubhouse marks the beginning of something truly special for this community. It represents a place where young people will discover their potential, build confidence, and find mentors who believe in them,” said Kristin Goncalves, EVP, Boys & Girls Club of Ridgefield. “The City’s support helps make that vision possible — and together, we’re creating a space that will uplift youth and families for generations to come.”
Since becoming mayor of Danbury in 2023, Mayor Alves has allocated cannabis tax revenue to programs that directly impact Danbury’s youth, including the Harambee Center, Danbury Youth Services, Danbury Student and Business Connection, and the recently announced MMA Youth Program led by World Champions Glover Teixeira and Alex Pereira.
“This Boys & Girls Club facility will give our pre-teens a safe, inspiring place to learn, grow, and connect through mentoring and meaningful activities,” Alves said. “It’s a place where kids can discover their potential and build confidence for the future.”
The collaboration between the Boys & Girls Club and the City of Danbury was the result of a commitment from both to finding a way to serve Danbury families.
“When the Boys & Girls Club of Ridgefield first explored the opportunity to open a Clubhouse in Danbury, our first stop was City Hall to meet with Mayor Alves, State Rep. (Farley)Santos, and other local leaders. From the very beginning, we were welcomed with open arms and encouraged to bring this vision to life,” said Mike Flynn, president and CEO, Boys & Girls Club of Ridgefield.
“Today, the City of Danbury’s contribution to the Danbury Clubhouse is a powerful reflection of that continued support,” he added. “Having the City as a partner in this endeavor is absolutely critical to its success and lays the foundation for a lasting and meaningful collaboration. This generous gift will go directly toward operations and programming — impacting the youth and families first hand and helping to ensure that the Danbury Clubhouse becomes a place of opportunity, belonging, and hope for years to come.”
