Youth ages 12 to 18 now have a new safe place to go in St. Louis County for education and activities after school and in the summer.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis on Thursday unveiled its new, $12.4 million Teen Center of Excellence, located at 9200 W. Florissant Ave. in Ferguson. Officials said the new center is one of the first of its kind nationwide, which they were led to develop after being encouraged by civic leaders to expand services in neighborhoods that lack youth programming. The new center is in the midst of four school districts and will serve 1,500 youth, according to the nonprofit.
The 26,856-square-foot, three-level Teen Center is scheduled to be open to members in mid-November, officials said. Registration is now open, with membership for ages 12-18 at $25 annually; for more information go here.
It houses a nutrition education center, outdoor garden, gymnasium, intellectual commons, theater, green and drama rooms, fitness zone, gaming room, music and art studio and innovation center, as well as office space.
Officials said programming at the new center will emphasize the following:
- Health and wellness, through yoga, healthy habits training and open gym;
- Education and workforce development, with activities including college tours, ACT/SAT prep, tutoring, job readiness, internships and summer employment;
- STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) via visual and performing arts, coding, app creation and robotics;
- Leadership and civic engagement, through community service, character programs and advocacy training.
Work began in September 2018 on the facility, with KAI Design & Build serving as the general contractor, Arcturis as project architect, and construction consultant The Striler Group.
The new center is being funded by individual and corporate donors, including Edward Jones, Express Scripts and the St. Louis Community Foundation, officials previously said.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis bought the property for the new center, which previously held a shuttered Ponderosa restaurant, from Health & Homes STL, another nonprofit that is investing millions in health and infrastructure improvements along West Florissant Avenue in Ferguson. The new teen center is the first element of an ongoing development initiative that could reach $80 million in investment, Health & Homes officials previously told the Business Journal.
“This is certainly a proud moment in the history of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis,” Flint Fowler, president of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis, said Thursday in a statement. “Teens deserve a safe place to grow and learn, exercise their creativity, explore their interests, and build meaningful relationships with peers and caring adults.”
He added, “We are also excited to be a part of the wave of development along West Florissant including the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis’s Empowerment Center and Plaza, the street scape project, Mercy Health Clinic and development of the Maline Greenway.”
The Boys & Girls Club of Greater St. Louis reported 2018 revenue of $9.3 million and operating expenses of $7.3 million, according to its annual report. The nonprofit serves youth ages 6-18 in St. Louis city and county with after-school, sports and summer programs at 10 locations, as well as operating dropout prevention programs, and the Mentor St. Louis and St. Louis Internship programs.
