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Tuesday, June 16, 2009
City OKs Downtown Teen Center Contract
By Dan McKay
Journal Staff Writer
At least it wasn't a school night.
About 70 teens and their supporters had to wait until 10:15 p.m. Monday, but they went home happy after city councilors approved a one-year contract to run a Downtown teen center. The $250,000 contract is with the nonprofit New Mexico Xtreme Sports Association.
The center, called Warehouse 508, sits in the old Ice House strip club at 508 First NW. It has been open on a limited basis already, but supporters hope to expand operations in the coming year.
The current round of renovations is expected to be done in August.
The center is intended to be a place where youngsters can learn filmmaking on Macintosh computers, take hip-hop dance lessons and listen to live music. It'll be open after school and on weekends.
Teens will help run the place. They're expected to serve as sound engineers and stage managers during band performances, for example.
Supporters who showed up Monday didn't actually testify before the council. Instead, they played a short video with teens touring the building and explaining what they hoped would take place there.
"Warehouse 508 is a huge breath of fresh air," one teen interviewed in the video said.
The contract was approved 8-1, with Michael Cadigan in opposition.
He has questioned the mayoral administration's plans to sink millions of dollars into renovating the old strip club and whether it's in a safe part of Downtown. But he has also said that having a teen center is a worthwhile policy goal.
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