Girl Scouts start construction on new center next to Newport’s Marina Park
Orange County’s 21,000 Girl Scouts are a step closer to a new waterfront activity center on the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach.
Construction began this week on the Girl Scout Leadership Center, a 6,100-square-foot facility next to the recently opened Marina Park.
The center’s site previously was home to the Neva B. Thomas Girl Scout Program Center, which opened in 1949. But as the city began moving forward with its design for the land now known as Marina Park, the Girl Scouts also came up with a new vision for the area.
The City Council agreed in 2013 to lease a portion of the land to the Girl Scouts for 50 years at $1 per year. Girl Scouts of Orange County is responsible for funding construction of the building and paying maintenance costs. The center’s price tag was not immediately available Tuesday.
The leadership center will be a destination for Girl Scouts to experience the outdoors through activities such as kayaking and sailing on Newport Harbor, as well as participate in a program called Inspire, which aims to educate girls about the role of science, engineering, technology and math in a variety of careers.
The facility will offer “innovative and life-changing experiences girls won’t find anywhere else to embrace STEM education, explore 21st century careers, expand their capabilities and create lasting memories,” said Nancy Nygren, chief executive of Girl Scouts of Orange County.
Scouts visiting the center will watch videos of women working in industries such as farming, dancing, medicine and engineering. The goal is to show girls that skills like problem solving and analytical thinking are necessary in all careers, not just traditional STEM occupations, said Julie Weeks, vice president of marketing and communications for Girl Scouts of Orange County.
Construction is expected to be completed late this year, with a grand opening in early 2017.
