Teens to get their space from project

COSTA MESA — Dan Monahan knows that when kids reach a certain age, they prefer not to be referred to as boys and girls. But that isn’t stopping the youth leader from creating a space for teens at the Boys & Girls Club.

Monahan, the executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of the Harbor Area, watched proudly Saturday morning as crews from DPR Construction installed new paint, walls and flooring in the aged building on Tustin Avenue.

DPR renovates a different venue every year for free. This time, the Newport Beach-based company turned its attention to the after-school haven behind Kaiser Elementary School.

The crews expected to finish their work by Saturday evening and have the club ready Monday.

A new feature, Monahan said, would be a room in back where teenagers could do homework, learn computer technology and prepare for standardized tests.

“When they get 13, 14 years old, they think they’re too old to be in a club,” Monahan said. “The reality is, that’s when a teenager should be in a club, because it keeps them out of trouble.”

DPR had started work on the Boys & Girls Club Thursday, but Saturday was the big day of construction.

Project engineer Jason King, a member of the Boys & Girls Club in San Diego as a child, said he and his colleagues chose the Costa Mesa site because they felt it was overdue for a makeover.

“We were looking for somewhere we could make the most impact in a few days of work,” King said. “This was one that gave us a lot of opportunities to bring in new programs.”

MICHAEL MILLER may be reached at (714) 966-4617 or at michael.miller@latimes.com.