8,200 square feet of space became available when the Police Department moved into its new headquarters. The location was ideal since it was directly adjacent to the skate park that was part of the larger park complex within the civic center campus attracting youth to the area.
The $2.9 million renovation was an adaptive re-use of the former home of the Police Department to meet the needs of an underserved youth population and expand the City's capacity for additional community programs.
The entire space was gutted and much of the existing materials were recycled after hazmat had been completed. With limited funds, the space was transformed from a dark, compartmentalized office setting into an open, multi-functional recreational environment for teens. During demolition, the north CMU façade was removed which revealed 4" square tube columns spaced 8 feet on center that became the structure for a new window wall at the main entry which flooded the interior with natural light. The original building clad in CMU had plaster panels concealing former window units that were walled over for police security. The plaster panels were removed and replaced with full height glass bay windows with built in wood benches providing functional seating and adding to the much-needed natural light in the open space. Most of the spaces within the interior flow into one another. The Assembly Room can function as one large space or be sectioned off with a transparent roll down door for visual monitoring of both spaces from the main information desk. The outdoor activity area had to be secured from the adjacent skate park and an 8" water main and easement ran through the only space available. A perforated 10-foot-wide metal screen gate was designed for vehicle access to the water line while providing the needed security; this gate also mimicks the perforated CMU screen walls found throughout the civic campus.
The new Center provides an environment in which teens can do homework or study in a quiet space, perform research or complete assignments at one of 10 PC terminals, or engage in various recreational activities such as video games, pool, and air hockey. Live video feed from the adjacent skate park can be projected onto various walls to add to the dynamic spaces. Since opening in February 2010, more than 100 young people have become paid members, which is a requirement to use the new Youth Center.
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