Youth development organization The Boys\u2019 Club of New York<\/b> (BCNY) has signed a 25-year net lease for the entire 33,000-square-foot building at 565 Morris Avenue<\/b> in the Bronx, Commercial Observer has learned.<\/p>\n
Stephen Powers<\/b>, Lindsay Ornstein<\/b>, Alexander Smith<\/b> and Chloe Holder<\/b> of Open Impact Real Estate<\/a><\/b> represented BCNY in the transaction. Jordan Kaplan<\/b>, Dean Rosenzweig<\/b>, Jeremy Scholder<\/b> and Jojo Lewis<\/b> from CBRE<\/a> <\/b>represented the landlord.<\/p>\n SEE ALSO: Alexandria Lands Biggest Life Sciences Lease in Company History<\/a><\/p>\n The 200-year-old early education center Sheltering Arms was the previous tenant but shuttered in 2023<\/a> due to \u201csevere financial challenges resulting from the pandemic.\u201d<\/p>\n Certain pre-existing features in the building and on the property \u2014 including a double-height gymnasium, a commercial kitchen and 33,000 square feet of outdoor space \u2014 made it ideal for BCNY\u2019s plans, according to a statement from Open.\u00a0<\/p>\n BCNY offers after-school and Saturday programs for young men in grades 2 through 12. The organization will be converting the building into a clubhouse featuring classrooms for music, arts and media, audio engineering, computer labs, athletics and a gaming center, as well as a cooking and hydroponics area and outdoor space for projects addressing food insecurity. There will also be a rooftop garden and a gymnasium for competitive sports.<\/p>\n \u201cThis long-term lease is a testament to The Boys\u2019 Club of New York\u2019s dedication to creating a place where boys feel a true sense of belonging \u2014 a safe space that\u2019s their own to have fun, explore and grow,\u201d Powers, co-founder of Open, said in a statement. \u201cBy expanding into the Bronx, BCNY is fulfilling its promise to reach more neighborhoods, offering free access to music, sports and enriching activities that these kids might not have elsewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n Powers noted that, including outdoor space, this deal gives BCNY a campus of over 60,000 square feet.<\/p>\n BCNY executive director Stephen Tosh<\/b> said that the clubhouse is slated to officially open this fall, but is already beginning its integration into the community.<\/p>\n \u201cThis summer, we will welcome the community to stop in and share their ideas and aspirations for all boys and young men in the Bronx,\u201d Tosh said in a statement.<\/p>\n This will be BCNY\u2019s third clubhouse in New York City, following the Gerry Clubhouse at 321 East 111th Street<\/b> in Harlem, and the Abbe Clubhouse at 133-01 41st Road<\/b> in Flushing, Queens. BCNY also plans to open a facility in Brooklyn in the years to come.<\/p>\n 565 Morris Avenue, also identified as 225 East 149th Street,<\/b> was purchased by landlord Michaelangelo Preservation<\/a> <\/b>in 2017 for $78.14 million, according to public records<\/a>.<\/p>\n