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Brooklyn Park Mayor Hollies J. Winston cuts the ribbon during a ceremony celebrating the opening of the new teen center at the Zanewood Recreation Center. Credit: Zanewood Recreation Center<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\tA new chapter for Brooklyn Park youth begins<\/p>\n
Brooklyn Park celebrates the opening of The Wood, a new teen center designed to provide young people with space, resources and opportunities to grow, connect and thrive.<\/p>\n
Brooklyn Park Mayor Hollies J. Winston cuts the ribbon during a ceremony celebrating the opening of the new teen center at the Zanewood Recreation Center. Credit: Zanewood Recreation Center<\/p>\n
The Wood, the long-awaited new teen center in Brooklyn Park, has officially opened its doors. On Monday, March 2, city officials, community leaders, and staff celebrated the new space with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, marking the beginning of a new hub designed to give teens and young adults opportunities to build skills, explore their interests, and create connections.<\/p>\n
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\u201cToday we now stand in space that we can call our own,\u201d said Tashawna Williams, the arts and engagement specialist at Zanewood, during Monday\u2019s ceremony.<\/p>\n
For more than 20 years, the youth of Brooklyn Park have relied on the Zanewood Recreation Center as a safe space. Described as a \u201chome away from home\u201d by parks and facilities manager Marcus Hill, the space simply did not meet the demand for the number of kids coming to the center.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe space was significantly small, we didn\u2019t have a gym, we didn\u2019t have dedicated program spaces, and truly we just outgrew the space,\u201d said Hill.<\/p>\n
However, in 2018, as part of a park bond referendum that asked Brooklyn Park residents where they would like to see facility upgrades, the Zanewood Recreation Center was included on the list. The city council approved a $2 million budget to add improvements to the center, but the COVID-19 pandemic put a pause on those plans, as many funds were allocated elsewhere instead of recreation centers.<\/p>\n
Hill said the city had to get creative to secure additional funding for the project. More than 60% of the funding for The Wood came through partnerships and grants, including a Best Buy grant that helped fund a teen lab, as well as support from the Minnesota Department of Education and the Hennepin County Youth Facilities Grant.<\/p>\n
Creating a safe space for Brooklyn Park youth<\/p>\n
The expansion adds several new amenities, including the city\u2019s first city-owned indoor gym, a dedicated art space, a workforce development area, and a teen gaming lounge. The 27,000-square-foot addition will triple the size of the existing 9,000-square-foot Zanewood Center.<\/p>\n
At Monday\u2019s event, city leaders emphasized the collaboration that went into bringing The Wood to life. Brad Tullberg, Brooklyn Park\u2019s recreation and parks director, said nearly every city department played a role.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery department within our city has been a part of this, making this project a reality, all the way from our finance to our fire to our police to our newly named public works. Every department honestly had a hand in this project. It really is a true beacon of the collaboration that goes on within our city staff,\u201d said recreation and parks director Brad Tullberg.<\/p>\n
Brooklyn Park Mayor Hollies J. Winston took a moment to acknowledge that the community surrounding the Zanewood Center has often gone uncredited for its beauty, intelligence, and strength.<\/p>\n
\u201cBrooklyn Park is incredibly important as a city, but this area where we are right now has not always got the credit that it deserves as an important neighborhood for what we do in Brooklyn Park. And so I want people to know that this isn\u2019t the first investment that we\u2019re going to make in this area. We\u2019re going to make investments throughout. But I want folks to know we\u2019re also going to continue focusing on this part of Brooklyn Park because it\u2019s incredibly important,\u201d said Mayor Winston.<\/p>\n
The Thielen Foundation gives back in a big way<\/p>\n
The Thielen Foundation, founded by former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen and his wife Caitlin, first became aware of the teen center project through Marcus Hill. The two previously attended Minnesota State University, Mankato, where Hill played basketball while Thielen played football. Thielen said their long-standing connection and Hill\u2019s passion for youth development played a major role in the foundation\u2019s involvement.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeeing the work (Marcus) does, the impact he makes in kids\u2019 lives, was what brought us to this project. Obviously his passion and energy for the youth is exactly the type of people we want to align with,\u201d said Thielen.<\/p>\n
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Adam Thielen (left) and Marcus Hill Credit: Aamira Redd\/MSR<\/p>\n
Founded in 2018, the Thielen Foundation aims to create opportunities for underserved youth in the Upper Midwest, according to the foundation\u2019s website.<\/p>\n
\u201c(The Wood) was a vision that was right in line with our foundation, helping youth reach their full potential by giving them resources and opportunities. And this space does exactly that, especially now seeing it come to life,\u201d said Thielen.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes resources and opportunities limit where a kid can go and this creates those opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n