State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez has awarded $1 million in capital funding to the Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens to help fund the youth club’s state-of-the-art Astoria clubhouse as part of a major transformation of Variety’s long-term headquarters.
Variety is slated to break ground on the new clubhouse this December, converting its current headquarters at 21-12 30th Rd. into a sprawling 125,000-square-foot facility featuring a regulation pool, a gymnasium, a teaching kitchen, a theater, and what will become the first planetarium in Queens.
Variety, which has served Western Queens since 1955, currently provides programming for more than 4,000 children and teens each year at its current headquarters, but the $305 million redevelopment will allow the club to serve up to 16,000 children annually.
The project also includes a 236-unit, carbon-neutral affordable housing development, with 69 units reserved for youth aging out of foster care, as well as a dedicated children’s mental health center. Additional features include a 1,500-seat arena and a 400-seat school, further integrating community services with educational and recreational programming.
Gonzalez awarded Variety $1 million in state funding at the youth club’s annual Back-to-School Bash on Saturday, Sept. 6, stating that she is proud to be part of Variety’s expansion.
““I was thrilled to join Variety Boys and Girls Club and Astoria families to celebrate the new school year and award $1 million in funding toward their new clubhouse,” Gonzalez said in a statement.
“The Boys and Girls Club is where I held my inauguration as I began my public service as the State Senator. I’m proud to help them expand their footprint and continue their important work helping children in this community learn and grow.”
Variety CEO Costa Constantinides said the funding would provide “critical” assistance in building the largest girls and boys club in the United States.
“This critical funding will allow us to expand our business and non-profit incubator in our new building and assist us in growing the youth served from 4,000 to 16,000 kids per year,” Constantinides said in a statement.
State Sen. Mike Gianaris and Council Member Shekar Krishnan also attended the Back-to-School Bash earlier in September.
Constantinides told QNS in April that Variety had secured the vast majority of the funding needed for the redevelopment, clearing the way for construction to begin before the end of the year.
The project is expected to take approximately 30 months, with completion targeted for early 2028.
“We’re not just building a clubhouse—we’re building the future of Astoria,” Constantinides said in April.
Constantinides said VBGCQ activities will be temporarily relocated to a nearby senior center and four partner schools while the new clubhouse is under construction, stating that the only service the organization will not be able to provide during construction is its current swimming services.
