GAUTIER — A groundbreaking of sorts is planned this week for the site of a new building already being constructed for the Boys & Girls Club of Jackson County.

Green Way Builders of Pascagoula has nearly completed the facility, located next to the small, single-room building already in use by the Gautier unit.

The B&G Club is breaking ground officially this week, although the building could be finished by late August, said Executive Director Catherine Glaude.

The unit averages about 60 students in the after-school program. There are 35 children enrolled in the summer program, Glaude said. She expects attendance to improve when the unit moves into the new facility.

With $250,000 from the Mississippi Hurricane Recovery Fund, managed by the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Vaughn Lauban Design in Gautier has created a building suitable for a conventional Boys & Girls Club.

The new building is better suited for programs, Glaude said.

Areas are separated for different age groups and include a teen area as well as a game room, computer lab and large, modern kitchen, she said.

The city will continue to assist the club with maintenance and utilities, she said. The property belongs to the American Legion Post 1992, which is allowing the city to offer it to the Boys & Girls Club.

Glaude said the children already in the Gautier program are looking forward to moving into their new facility. “They’re excited about it, about being brand new,” she said. “It’s something they can be proud of.”

The Gautier unit has five staff members but may grow to include additional staff, she said.

Boys & Girls Club administrators hope the facility will be a hub for Gautier organizations. They’re proposing a partnership with other groups to share the facility, such as youth-related organizations like Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.

The Boys & Girls Club raised nearly $60,000 through their annual 17th Steak and Steak Dinner held last month.