New kids clubhouse, academy and gym going up in La Mesa

One of La Mesa’s favorite — and tallest — natives is going to have a gym named after him.

As construction begins on the Brady Family Clubhouse at the Boys & Girls Clubs of East County in La Mesa, a 10,000-square-foot Bill Walton Gymnasium is also in the plans.

Walton, a 1970 Helix High alum, is a college basketball Hall of Famer who starred at UCLA and had a 14-year career in the National Basketball Association. The 6-foot-11 Walton now lives in the city of San Diego, but always calls La Mesa “home.”

Earlier this month, the nonprofit Boys & Girls of East County broke ground on the building, which will house the gym as well as the Gagon Academy, a learning center and study room for kids.

“Thank you to everyone here for your passion and for creating a phenomenal community of love and support,” Walton said at the groundbreaking ceremony on July 12. “Let’s keep dreaming and keep working.”

The Brady Family Clubhouse is on the west end of the La Mesa Arts Academy, formerly La Mesa Middle School. The 26,000-square-foot clubhouse will be the largest of all Boys & Girls Clubs of East County.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of East County has 2,000 members and operates five facilities:

• The Conrad Prebys Complex with the El Cajon Clubhouse, 1171 E. Madison Ave., and El Cajon Teen Center, 1153 E. Madison Ave.
• Lakeside Clubhouse, 12824 Lakeshore Drive.
• The Brady Family La Mesa Teen Center, 7775 Junior High Drive.
• The Conrad Prebys Santee Clubhouse, 8820 Tamberly Way.

The clubhouse in La Mesa will also feature a full-service kitchen, nutrition center and a “Little Rascals” area for 5- to 7-year-olds. It is expected to serve up to 300 children a day.

“The new clubhouse will be a catalyst to help change the entire western La Mesa area,” said La Mesa Mayor Mark Arapostathis, who is also the co-founder of La Mesa Arts Academy and the director of theatre arts at the school.

According to Boys & Girls Clubs of East County officials, the La Mesa Capital Campaign has raised about $8.5 million to fund construction of the clubhouse.

Ron and Mary Alice Brady, owners of the Brady Companies, donated $3 million and the estate of Eleni and Wolfgang Gagon of San Diego donated another $3 million.

karen.pearlman@sduniontribune.com