Former swimming pool now a $12.6-million youth centre in Mississauga

A “one-of-a-kind” youth centre that recently opened in Mississauga’s north end after a massive renovation will officially open to the public in two weeks.

The new $12.6-million Malton Youth Hub Jonathan Davis Centre, described by Mississauga officials as “a hopping place” since opening its doors in October, will officially kick things off on Dec. 12.

The official opening will run from 6 to 8 p.m. and include food, entertainment and an opening/reopening ceremony, according to City of Mississauga officials.

“Be prepared to be amazed by this $12-million pool conversion,” Ward 5 Coun. Carolyn Parrish said on social media, adding the event will be planned and executed by the facility’s Youth Board of Directors.

The long-awaited renovated facility, which is attached to Lincoln Alexander Secondary School on Morning Star Drive, was converted from what was previously a school swimming pool into a vast, multi-use centre for young people, officials have said.

Parrish earlier this fall described the reimagined 18,000-sq.-ft. facility as an “incredible youth space in Malton serving all the various needs of kids today.”

The hub has also been described as a “one-of-a-kind” and “state-of-the-art” facility for youth.

Rendering of the new Malton Youth Hub Jonathan Davis Centre. (Image: City of Mississauga)

The hub, on which construction and renovation began in January 2022, is named for a 17-year-old youth who was gunned down on the evening of Sept. 14, 2019 in a parkette outside his Darcel Avenue apartment building in Malton.

Jonathan Davis, a Grade 12 honour roll student at Lincoln Alexander, and five other innocent bystanders were hit by bullets during an outbreak of gunfire in the residential neighbourhood.

On the city’s online project update site, officials said earlier that the new facility provides services and programs “that reflect the local youth needs.”

The new hub includes:

• a large atrium for gathering
• a commercial kitchen equipped for teaching programs
• a room dedicated for youths to hang out, meet and play
• a multi-purpose room for programs, meetings and events
• small multi-purpose rooms for working and counselling

Funding for the facility came from the City of Mississauga, Region of Peel and private donors.