With 45,000 square feet of space, the $25 million two-story building will include a health and wellness clinic, an early childhood education center, shared workspace and a community café.
Lastesha Lipscomb is the Director of Engagement and Relationships for Amplify GR, one of the partners with Boston Square Together, a group that’s leading the project.
She said the group is calling next week’s event a “sky breaking” ceremony because it celebrates the construction of a second floor that will be dedicated to addressing community needs.
“That second floor will serve as an opportunity for neighbors to come in and not only have access to Amplify GR's new office, but also several service providers that will focus in areas like health and wellness, after-school programming as well as community enrichment,” she said.
Lipscomb says the project, that’s relied on community input, represents true transformative change and collective impact.
“Historically, Boston Square has been bypassed and overlooked in terms of both public and private investment, so there’s no time like the present for 49507 to be working together in Boston Square to really honor and uplift neighbor priority in a way that’s just truly going to change it for the young people that are coming behind us,” she said.
Funding for the project comes from both private and public contributions. The Community Hub is expected to open late 2024 or early 2025.
The celebration event is scheduled for April 26 from 4 to 7 p.m. at 1534 Kalamazoo Avenue in Grand Rapids.