The mission of Teen Empowerment Center is to inspire and empower urban youth to identify and address pressing issues in their communities. Having outgrown its Rochester facility, opened in 2003, the nonprofit organization purchased two empty lots from the City of Rochester to build a new center.
The new 6,700 SF building will include staff offices and meeting spaces and expanded program space to safely accommodate youth events for up to 150 people. Enhancements will include a music recording studio/multimedia room, meditation room, library, conference room, two balconies and outdoor space for more creative programming and community collaboration.
The new center will expand Teen Empowerment’s mission to empower youth to implement initiatives that positively influence their peers and create real, meaningful changes in their communities. This work will directly impact the futures of countless teens that live within the City of Rochester and encourage more to participate in the program.
“We want to be able to unite young people across neighborhood lines in a much larger space,” said Director Doug Ackley. “That also speaks to the value of the work that young people are doing.”
SWBR is providing architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, and structural engineering design services for the project.
Read the full WXXI news story here: https://bit.ly/3TmH5yH