BEVERLY — The plan to build a new youth center is about to become a reality.
Mayor Mike Cahill told the City Council this week that the city hopes to begin construction of a new McPherson Youth Center in October and complete the work in about a year.
“This is exciting,” he said.
The city announced last year that it plans to demolish the existing McPherson Youth Center on McPherson Drive and build a new one that is twice as big. The current youth center was built in 1975.
Cahill said the project will cost about $6 million. The city has received about $5.2 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act and a $1 million community project funding grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The McPherson Youth Center is a collaboration between the city of Beverly and the Greater Beverly YMCA. The building, located next to the Bass River, serves as a drop-in style center for youth ages 11 to 18 where they can shoot pool, use the computer lab, take part in fitness programs, and use the adjacent skate park and basketball court.
Cahill said the skate park and basketball court will remain open during construction, outside the fenced-off area where the work will take place. He said the city is working on finding a location in the downtown area where the youth center can continue to run programs during construction.
The city is also embarking on a plan to fix up Central Fire Station. The work involves replacing the roof, repointing the brick exterior, replacing windows and exterior doors, replacing the HVAC system and upgrading the electrical service.
Cahill said the total cost of the work is about $2.75 million. He asked the City Council to authorize a $1.5 million loan for the project, which will allow the city to enter into contracts and move the project forward. Cahill said the city would eventually use its free cash account to pay for the project and would rescind the loan order.
The City Council set a public hearing on the loan request for Aug. 19 at 7:45 p.m. at City Hall.
Staff Writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2535, by email at pleighton@salemnews.com, or on Twitter at @heardinbeverly.