Boys & Girls Clubs of Weld County opens teen center – Greeley Tribune

The exterior of the newly renovated Boys and Girls Club teen center at 1407 2nd Street in Greeley is now open to children on June 15, 2024. (Jim Rydbom/Staff Photographer)

After two decades of inactivity, a classic hangout for Greeley-area teens is enjoying something of a revival.

When the Warnoco Roller Skating Rink closed in 2004, the building became an unoccupied relic. Over time, people began to question whether the building at 1407 2nd St. in Greeley was even salvageable.

Saturday morning, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Weld County answered that question with the dedication of their new teen center located in the old ice rink. A crowd gathered outside the new teen center where officials from the city of Greeley and the Boys & Girls Clubs spoke about what the new center means for teens in the community.

“This is a new place that our teens can call their own,” said Dave Dixon, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Weld County.

Teenagers previously had to share space with younger children at Pawl Clubhouse, 2400 1st Ave. While the clubhouse is only 2,500 square feet, the new teen center is 15,000 square feet, giving teens more space to create, learn and have fun with their peers.

The new facility allows Boys and Girls Clubs of Weld County to serve four to five times more teens than before, Dixon said.

“This serves as another beacon of safety in Greeley, Colorado, for our young people,” said Mayor John Gates. “It’s a proud moment without a doubt.”

In Gates' experience with Greeley-Evans School District 6 and the Greeley Police Department, facilities such as the teen center foster the positive life skills children need as they become adults . In May, Gates announced he was retiring from the position of District 6's chief of school safety and security that he had held for 21 years.

The teen center will offer a variety of age-appropriate activities. From a gymnasium and technology studio to a cafe and career development space, Dixon said the facility will represent the Boys & Girls Clubs' pillars of education, art, health and wellness, sports and recreation, as well as character and leadership development.

Dixon praised Terry Adams, former CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Weld County, for his and the board's efforts in taking a vision of a teen center and making it a reality. Dixon, who succeeded Adams nine months ago, said work was already underway at the building when he took office.

The board had been discussing and considering a teen center for a decade, Dixon said, and then two years ago the project began to come to fruition.

The majority of funding for the new center came from donations and grants, one of which came from the Weld Trust. The Weld Trust grant was the “catalyst” that launched the fundraising campaign, Dixon said. All funds endowed the establishment with an operating fund of one million dollars.

Jeff Carlson, CEO of the Weld Trust, said the grant awarded to the teen center was the Trust's first flagship grant, intended to support important long-term community projects.

“The teen center fits that description perfectly,” Carlson said.

The enthusiasm among the crowd Saturday morning could be just the start of years of exciting developments. Dixon said they have had preliminary discussions about turning the field on the facility's property into a turf playing field or outdoor education center. Dixon said nothing is imminent on that front, but the future is bright for the area.

To sign up for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Weld County, for hours of operation for all of their facilities and for more information, visit bgcweld.org.