Publication Date: Wednesday, March 16, 2005
A place for teens?
A place for teens?
(March 16, 2005) Mitchell Park Community Center could become youth center
by Bill D'Agostino
City officials are hoping to radically transform Palo Alto's community centers, with the goal of making the Mitchell Park Community Center a hub for youth.
It could ultimately lead to a homework program headquartered at the site, through a partnership with librarians from the adjacent Mitchell Park Library.
The proposal, which will be discussed by the Parks and Recreation Commission later this month, came from Community Services Director Richard James.
The city currently does a poor job serving teenagers and such a youth center could provide a wide array of services in one spot, he argued.
The Mitchell Park Library is a popular and crowded after-school destination for youth coming from a variety of schools around the park. A youth center could also ease some of the crowding at the library, James said.
Currently, the Mitchell Park Community Center hosts "The Drop," a teen hangout, as well as break-dancing classes, the Positive Alternatives for Youth program and middle school dances.
But it's also home for adult programs like Ping-Pong clubs, tap dancing classes and aerobics instruction. Those would have to move to other community centers to make room for the youth programs, as well as anything new.
A homework center was one of the goals of Measure D, a failed $49 million bond measure that would have rebuilt the Mitchell Park Library and Community Center.
James, who took over as the department's director last year, also hopes the proposed transformation would help parents and kids who currently have to travel throughout the city for a variety of youth programs.
"I've always felt that having two community centers within blocks of each other is not an effective way to do business," James said, referring to the Mitchell Park and Cubberley centers in south Palo Alto.
Even if the commission and the City Council approve James' idea, it would need approximately one year of planning to be implemented, he said.
Commissioner Paul Losch said he would have specific questions when the proposal comes before the commission, but admitted the idea sounded good on the surface.
Teens, especially, might find an all-youth center appealing, Losch said.
Staff Writer Bill D'Agostino can be e-mailed at bdagostino@paweekly.com.
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