The new West Cambridge Youth and Community Center/VFW evolved out of collaboration between the City and the Mount Auburn VFW Post. Members of the VFW wanted to help Cambridge youth by providing a setting for a new Youth Center and the City wanted to help the VFW to continue on in its current location, with an enhanced facility, due to deterioration of the existing VFW building. After many meetings between the City and the Mt. Auburn VFW over a number of years, the VFW agreed to sell its site to the City in exchange for a long-term lease for use of a space on the site. A deal was struck and the City agreed to pay the VFW $2.905 million for its site and building. In turn, the VFW agreed to pay back to the City a portion of the proceeds from the property sale for the costs of rebuilding a new space on the site for VFW use. The sale was accomplished through a negotiated eminent domain taking on December 19, 2005.

The architectural firm Cambridge Seven Associates, Inc. (“C7A”) was selected through a designer selection process. After initial discussions with the VFW and City staff, C7A presented a series of schematic design options at a City Council Roundtable on February 13, 2006, and sought feedback. Subsequently a decision was made to include a Performance Space in the new facility, which could be used by a variety of community groups for a range of different purposes. A decision was reached to pursue an all new construction solution, rather than a partial renovation/partial new construction alternative.

Through an interactive meeting process, C7A sought input from City staff, the VFW, the Youth Services Division of the Department of Human Service Programs, parents and youth from West Cambridge and representatives of a variety of dance groups that had previously rented the VFW space, to capture the programmatic interests of the various user groups. Through this process the design was further developed to address the needs identified. A companion project, coordinated by the DPW and Community Development Department, will include traffic calming improvements on Huron Avenue.

A public meeting to present the Schematic Design for the new facility was held on June 13, 2006 at the site, located at 688 Huron Avenue in West Cambridge. Approximately 40 neighborhood residents attended. The City and C7A presented the plans for the new building and explained the project timetable to the community.

For more information about the construction project, contact Project Manager Michael J. Black at (617) 349-4251.

For more information about Youth Programs in Cambridge, visit the Department of Human Services website at cambridgema.gov.