Branch Avenue Boys & Girls Club to Reopen in 2027
The $15-million renovation will add career-training spaces for local teens at the historic Providence mill site.
Updated on Oct. 15, 2026 in Home Renovation
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The Boys & Girls Club of Providence is undertaking a $15-million renovation of its Branch Avenue location to expand career-focused programming for local youth. The 37,000-square-foot facility, originally built as a mill in 1928, is scheduled to reopen in 2027 with new training spaces.
Why it matters
This project aims to curb scholastic decline by providing Providence teens with specialized career development spaces alongside traditional academic and recreational support. By upgrading the historic site, the club enhances resources for children ages 5 to 18, 82% of whom live in poverty.
The $15-million renovation of the 37,000-square-foot Branch Avenue mill building will introduce a medical training room, wood shop, computer labs, and a dance studio. This effort supports an organization that currently serves children ages 5 to 18 across three facilities and two clubhouses.
The players
Boys & Girls Club of Providence
A nonprofit organization that provides after-school and summer programming for youth living in Providence.
The details
The renovation transforms the century-old mill structure into a multifunctional workforce development hub for teenagers. By integrating career-specific training areas with existing academic and after-school recreational spaces, the club maintains student engagement while addressing gaps in career exploration. The converted layout will provide hands-on environments such as a medical training room and wood shop to prepare local students for future vocational paths.
Timeline
1928: The Branch Avenue mill building originally opened.
1981: The organization began admitting girls.
2025: The club served a total of 100,000 meals.
2027: The renovated Branch Avenue facility is scheduled to reopen.
The Home Front
This project continues the city's long-standing trend of adaptive reuse, transforming historic industrial mill properties into modern community hubs. By modernizing a 1928 structure, the organization demonstrates the ongoing commitment to repurposing local building assets for educational use.
Parents interested in future teen programming should monitor the organization's progress updates leading to the 2027 opening. Families can currently utilize existing after-school and summer services at the club's active locations, including sites near Chad Brown Street and Hartford Park.
The takeaway
The renovation project represents a significant investment in neighborhood youth by repurposing legacy industrial space into specialized training facilities. Families can track the facility's construction progress for updates on future enrollment for the new workforce development programs.
Further reading
For more information on local upgrades, visit the Home Renovation section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by USA TODAY.
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