Goodbye GARAGE? Council Says Teen Center Will Undergo 'Transition'

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According to the Burnsville City Council, the city's teen club is about to enter a bold new era. 

"I think we're at a wonderful moment of evolving into something better and bigger," Council Member Mary Sherry said during a worksession last Tuesday. "It's a golden moment, as I like to say."

In spite of the hopeful words, what's missing is a specific vision for THE GARAGE, a popular after-school destination and teen music venue. As yet, many questions remain unanswered. The council has not made a definitive decision about how much money the city is willing to put into its operations or the building itself, which could be shuttered or renovated depending on how the plan develops. However, the council did make one thing clear: It will not be business as usual at THE GARAGE.

"THE GARAGE is going to transition. It needs to be said just so people know," said Council Member Dan Gustafson. "It's going to happen one way or another."

Funding Gaps and an Uncertain Future

One might say THE GARAGE is already in a time of transition. In February, longtime manager Eric Billiet resigned, right as the council brought in a group of new potential partners—the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District, the Boys & Girls Club of the Twin Cities and Brad Rixmann, the CEO and president of Pawn America and PayDay America, who has promised a large donation if the Garage incorporates a program called Kids Feeding Kids (which would require the addition of a large dining room). At a meeting three months ago, the .

At the time, Advisory Board Chair Cheyenne Umbreit asked city officials to guarantee that the youth members would be included in all meetings and discussions. 

“We don’t have a problem with the partners. We just want it to be a real partnership,” said Umbreit. “We want to have a say.”

This time around, the teens were notably absent. Deputy City Manager Tom Hansen gave a summary of THE GARAGE's current standing: The city has pledged its usual amount of funding—$125,000 annually—but the center is on the verge of losing vital grant money. A Minnesota Crime Prevention grant of $66,000 will expire by June of this year and will not be renewed. There is another grant from the that will kick in $48,000 but it will only take the center through 2014.

"We have $50,000 in next year's GARAGE budget that we haven't located yet," Hansen concluded. 

Due to budget strain, Hansen said the center has made "adjustments."

"They'll be scaling back the operation," Hansen said.

The uncertainty has made it difficult for THE GARAGE to find a replacement for Billiet, who supervised the facility on a day-to-day basis.

At the same time, many on the council hinted that they would like to minimize the city's financial stake in THE GARAGE and seek more funding from private donors, in addition to the partners that are already on board.

"I don't think we can do it without our partners. It's dead on arrival without the school district and Boys & Girls Club," said Council Member Dan Kealey.

In fact, the Boys & Girls Club, has submitted its own operational budget, albeit one that leaves the center with a gap of $100,000 a year. Were the Boys & Girls Club to transform THE GARAGE into its first suburban outpost, the operational budget would be $320,000 a year. Under this plan, the city would continue to kick in the same amount—$125,000—and the school district would throw in for two instructors and transportation. The city did not include the budget from the Boys & Girls Club in the agenda packet available to the public, nor did it detail in specific dollar amounts how much cash the non-profit would put toward the effort.

All that being said, Hansen put the following to the council: Whatever the future holds, how much would the city council be willing to give for the youth center's operational costs? Would they be comfortable giving $125,000 per annum, as usual, or would they prefer a less amount? Council members did not have a ready answer on Tuesday. 

"We hope it's as little as possible," said Council Member Bill Coughlin. "Based on this conversation it all remains to be seen how it all plays out. I cannot answer (this question) at this time."

New Digs?

In February, the city staff unveiled ambitious renovation and expansion plans for the existing GARAGE space. At the time, the council was leaning toward a plan that would add 8,500 square feet to the facility, including a large dining facility to accommodate Kids Feeding Kids, a large sport court, activity rooms, and offices. Last Tuesday, Hansen gave the council a solid cost estimate for such a plan: $950,000.

"That's a lot of money—more than we mentioned last time, but it includes engineering, architectural plans, and furnishings," Hansen said. "So this is a pretty good estimation of the final cost."

However, in the last 90 days a new situation has come to light in the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District: Faced with financial turmoil of its own, , in which case they may have some real estate available for THE GARAGE. Hansen said that such a building would probably not be available until the 2013 to 2014 school year. 

The council decided it was best to wait and see.

"I don't think we should put any capital into it until we figure out where the heck it's going to be," Gustafson said. "As far as operating costs, we still have some time here."

Mayor Elizabeth Kautz agreed, though she felt using an existing school building would be a fitting solution.

"We should take our time," Kautz said.

In the meantime, THE GARAGE could be moved to a temporary space. Kealey mentioned that the Boys & Girls Club often functions in working schools, rather than stand-alone facilities. He added that such an arrangement could be a temporary fix until the city and the partners can find a permanent home for THE GARAGE.

The move could take place before 2012 is out.

"Right now we're committed (city funds) to the end of the year with THE GARAGE," Gustafson said. "But I don't think the fact that we have funding available to support THE GARAGE means that THE GARAGE might stay as it is to the end of the year."

Gustafson and the other council members agreed that the money promised to THE GARAGE could possibly be used to transition the facility, perhaps as early as the upcoming school year.

"If we have to transition this fall we can use the money for that and not do anything else with it until we get to budget discussion," Kautz said.