The former Garden Island newspaper building is now home to the Boys & Girls Club of Hawai‘i, where they will create the first dedicated teen center on Kauaʻi.
The building and its land, located at 3137 Kūhiō Highway in Līhuʻe, were a gift from the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation. The space, now owned by the Boys & Girls Club of Hawai‘i, will be transformed into a space designed for—and with—the island’s teens, according to a news release from the nonprofit.
“We are deeply grateful to The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation for their trust in the Boys & Girls Club of Hawai‘i to carry forward their legacy of caring for the community,” said Paddy Kauhane, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Club of Hawai‘i. “This gift is more than a building—it’s an investment in these teens’ futures, and we can’t wait to open our doors to those who need us most.”
Serving members ages 12 to 18, the Teen Center will allow the existing Līhuʻe Clubhouse to focus on elementary and younger middle school members. Together, the two sites will allow the club to better meet the demand for youth programming in the critical after-school hours.
“Opening the Teen Center in 2029 is our North Star Goal,” added Kauhane.
The Boys & Girls Club of Hawai‘i will launch a capital campaign in the coming months to support the project. Individuals, businesses and philanthropic partners interested in supporting the club’s Teen Center can contact Kauhane at pkauhana@bgch.com or Tina Albao at talbao@bgch.com.
The new center will expand the club’s capacity to serve youth, including those on the nearly 100-person waitlist for the nonprofit’s programming.
Once complete, the center will offer programming across four key areas to support young people:
- Food Security and Local Nutrition: Expanding partnerships to grow youth access to nutritious, locally grown food, with the site serving as a hub for meals, food distribution, nutrition education and connection to ʻāina-based practices.
- Pathways to College and Career: Workforce-readiness programming offering tutoring, mentorship, internships and exposure to career paths.
- Family and Cultural Connection: Programs rooted in Native Hawaiian values and traditions—kūpuna connections, hula, mele, hana noʻeau, ʻāina-based learning and moʻolelo—to build cultural identity and strengthen family bonds.
- Wraparound Services and Youth Safety: Access to resources and partnerships that meet the full spectrum of youth and family needs.
“This building represents more than a new space for Boys & Girls Club of Hawai‘i—it is a long-term investment in Kauaʻi’s young people and the community they call home,” said Kelly Miyamura, managing director of Hawaiʻi grantmaking at the Weinberg Foundation. “We are proud to put this asset into the hands of a trusted community partner, providing a stable home for this work and a place where teens can connect, grow and thrive.”
The gift comes as the Boys & Girls Club of Hawai‘i marks its 50th anniversary serving Kaua‘i and O‘ahu, representing a long-term commitment to local youth.
The club plans to host a design charrette—a collaborative process intended to shape the future of the space by the teens it will serve—bringing together club staff, youth members, families, board members and community partners. Guided by ProsPac Holdings, a local real estate investment firm dedicated to thoughtful community-oriented development, and Design Partners Inc., an award-winning Hawai‘i-based architecture firm, the charette will determine how the Teen Center looks, feels and functions.
“The most meaningful spaces are designed with the people the space is intended to serve, and Kaua‘i’s teens will help shape every part of BGCH’s new Teen Center,” said Tony Chen, director, ProsPac Holdings. “We’re proud to help give new purpose to this landmark building and create a place that will serve the island for generations.”
