On Monday, November 28th, Housing and Urban Development Secretary (HUD) Shaun Donovan will tour revitalized properties in Olneyville. Donovan will be joined by U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, Representatives James Langevin and David Cicilline, and Mayor Angel Taveras. Government officials and community members will meet at 10am at William D’abate School on Kossuth St. for a press conference to highlight Project Rebuild neighborhood stabilization efforts, which include the transformation of an empty commercial property at 51 Putnam St. into The Manton Avenue Project’s (MAP) new clubhouse.

“We are thrilled. This gorgeous new space will allow us to hold our classes and rehearsals in the heart of Olneyville, strengthening our ties to the community and giving MAP kids a place of their own to let their imaginations run wild,” said MAP Artistic Director, Meg Sullivan, of the future clubhouse.

The property is a short walk from William D’Abate Elementary, the school that most of the MAP students attend when they start the playwriting program in third grade. The Manton Avenue Project has worked with over 75 Olneyville children since the program’s inception in 2004. The children have created over 240 plays, which are publicly performed enlisting the talents of over 200 volunteer actors, directors, dramaturges, and designers.

At the clubhouse, MAP students will be able to work on their scripts, meet with their dramaturges and directors, attend rehearsals of their plays, and take part in guest artist workshops. The clubhouse will also serve as the meeting place for parents, volunteers, and a planned MAP Teen Voices program.

“This is a very exciting time for The Manton Avenue Project. This space will be transformative for our organization by affording us a central place to focus and strengthen our efforts,” said Sullivan. “We are grateful to Olneyville Housing and HUD for this incredible gesture, not only for MAP, but for the entire neighborhood.”

The Manton Avenue Project’s newest board member Nick Martin, who is also a parent of a current MAP student, expressed his excitement about the clubhouse.

“As a parent in the community, my dream is to see my kids succeed in life with a good education, and the MAP having a clubhouse — personally I think that is a good beginning,” said Martin. “The clubhouse will keep helping our kids stay out of the street, away from drugs, gangs and all those bad things which always want to take our kids away from us.”

Monday’s event is open to the public. The media is invited to attend.