East Side Boxing Club, Boys & Girls Club get 10 year rent deals

Boxer Tony Luis, left, and his father, Jorge, listen to city council as it decided April 13, 2015 to give the East Side Boxing Club and the Boys & Girls Club 10 year deals on their facilities. (Cornwall Newswatch/Bill Kingston)

CORNWALL – It looks like two community groups living in former city library locations will have 10 year deals on their facilities.

But, under the new deal, the Boys & Girls Club will be doing more financial heavy lifting.

The Boys & Girls Club on Henry Street which will have to start digging into their pockets for hard services to the tune of $3,300 a year plus $150 in annual rent.

The East Side Boxing Club already pays those costs.

The proposal on the table was for a five year renewal but Coun. Brock Frost got support around the table to give both groups a 10 year deal with an option to renew after five years.

The original idea of a 10 year agreement was first proposed by Coun. David Murphy.

The changes won’t take effect until January 2016.

Coun. David Murphy says this is a win for the city because “we would have to decommission them or pay the utilities for them (the buildings).”

Coun. Bernadette Clement says, while supporting the deal, she felt “icky” about the situation as it could be undue hardship for the Boys and Girls Club.

The city days the buildings are in good shape. Coun. Murphy used the analogy of the Three Little Pigs. “These buildings are not made of straw, they’re made of brick,” he says.

A relieved Jorge Luis spoke with reporters outside the council chambers shortly after the decision.

“Nothing changes and that’s good. I don’t want to be a cost or a burden on the city. We never wanted that. When they proposed this to me a few years ago, you pay the utilities a just a minimal user fee, I was fine with that. It gives us a chance to make a profit…and the profit we make we put back into the kids and put back into the club,” the East Side Boxing Club president says.

The boxing club is a registered non-profit organization.

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