As part of a creative, new strategy to plant its roots in more of Chicago’s neighborhoods, After School Matters joined Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Wednesday to announce the donation of a 36,000-square-foot building in Chicago’s Belmont Cragin neighborhood, which will allow the organization to create a new dedicated after-school and summer programming facility for high school students. The new site has been made possible by a donation through the Lutz Family Foundation. It will be the first After School Matters-owned programming site located in one of Chicago’s neighborhoods. Plans are currently underway for After School Matters to launch its signature programming in the building as soon as this fall, with the ultimate goal of replicating the successful teen-focused model in more neighborhoods throughout Chicago. The organization currently reaches approximately 170 teens in Belmont Cragin each year through programming at nearby high schools, parks and a number of community organizations. In addition to current program offerings, the new center will ultimately expand the organization’s capacity by providing opportunities for more than 1,000 teenagers annually.