The Curley Center Is OPEN!

by Rick Winterson

The BCYF (Boston Centers for Youth & Families) formally reopened the Curley Community Center at 1663 Columbia Road (Day Boulevard). It was a magical event for many reasons. The Center, although known formally as listed above, is also nicknamed “The L Street Bathhouse” or simply “The L”. It had been closed a yearand-a-half more than originally projected due to the pandemic, legal battles, and shortages of supplies. The Center has always been an enormously popular facility, in part because it is the one, single community center that possesses its own beach front, which is open only to members. South Boston and the whole citywide membership have missed it very much. The Curley Center project cost just over $30 million. As part of the Center’s renovations, the corridors of each wing have been interconnected, thus forming a quarter-mile long interior walkway from one end to the other. That’s more than the length of four football fields!

The opening event began at 10 o’clock, led by Marta Rivera, the BCYF Commissioner. The ceremony took place in the Center’s K Street lobby. More than a hundred people were on hand to celebrate and observe, along with media from all of Boston’s outlets and many City of Boston officials. All those in attendance were extremely high-spirited; greetings and laughter were non-stop. Rivera mentioned that there have been 6,000 visitors since the first tour of the Center took place in June. She then introduced Mayor Michelle Wu, who keynoted the event.

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