Nancy P. Anschutz Center and Boys and Girls Club

Transforming a site of tragedy into a center of hope, opportunity, and community empowerment.

Born from a community’s determination to rebuild and invest in its future, the Nancy P. Anschutz Center transformed the site of a gang-related arson into a vibrant resource dedicated to youth development, mentorship, and neighborhood revitalization. The facility now serves as home to the Jack A. Vickers Boys & Girls Club and the Prodigal Son Initiative, creating a place where young people can learn, grow, and thrive while strengthening connections throughout Northeast Denver.

The approximately 30,000-square-foot, single-story facility features a welcoming steel-and-timber structure designed to support a wide range of educational, recreational, and community-focused programs. Interior spaces include a learning lab, technology lab, arts and crafts room, gymnasium and locker rooms, dining area and kitchen, games room, teen center, community room, conference room, and supporting facilities. Site improvements include parking, landscaping, and outdoor gathering spaces that further enhance the campus environment.

As the first Boys & Girls Club in Northeast Denver, the center provides critical resources and opportunities for local youth, including after-school programming, academic support, sports, mentorship, and personal development activities. The facility also houses the Prodigal Son Initiative, an organization dedicated to preventing youth violence through mentorship, education, and positive life opportunities.

Community engagement played a central role throughout the project. Saunders actively supported neighborhood involvement through local hiring efforts, workforce training opportunities, community barbecues, and a Children’s Art Festival that helped connect residents to the project and its mission. These initiatives reinforced the center’s purpose as a community asset long before construction was complete.