Teens Wary as City Council Looks to Expand The Garage

The city council gave its blessing to a sweeping plan to renovate and expand The Garage, the city-owned youth music and recreation venue. But young people who most love the teen center are meeting the plans with trepidation rather than excitement.

At the same time, Eric Billiet, who served as the teen center’s manager since its founding in 1999, has resigned for reasons that aren't clear. Tuesday was his last day.

For many of the young people in the audience the meeting was full of surprises. Architect Mark Wentzell unveiled three progressively more ambitious and expensive expansion plans. The first would merely add bathrooms, a kitchen and 150-person dining area, add a green space and perhaps a terrace. The dining area would house an afterschool dinner program for poverty-stricken youth.

A second option, on top of everything in the first plan, would bring a larger sports court, a garden, activity spaces, storage, and a rehearsal room for bands. The third option brings a larger scale to all these features. Cost estimates range $460,000, for the simplest project, to $735,000.

Youth board members told council they support the project but are concerned about losing their autonomy. The city hopes to partner with two agencies—the Boys and Girls Club of the Twin Cities and Independent School District 191—to run programs in the new and improved teen center. Mayor Elizabeth Kautz couldn't yet answer questions about who would run the center. Tuesday's discussion, she told the youth board members, would only focus on plans for the building.

“I hear your fear about losing your identity in the Garage,” Kautz assured them. “Your voice will be heard.”

Deputy City Manager Tom Hansen said city officials viewed these new partnerships as a way of preserving The Garage, which has gone through recent . Such partners, council member suggested, would better help The Garage stay afloat and attract donations and grant money. A wealthy couple has already pledged $250,000 over 10 years if the Boys and Girls Club is involved.

“You have to think beyond today. The future of The Garage is not guaranteed,” said Council Member Dan Kealey. “This will ensure that The Garage will be here five to 10 years from now. When you get business, nonprofits and the city together, magical things can happen.”

Advisory Board Chair Cheyenne Umbreit, a 17-year-old who both works and volunteers at The Garage during her time away from the School of Environmental Studies in Apple Valley, said she is worried that the 20 to 30 high school and college student who work at The Garage part-time will lose their jobs. She 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.”