‘One-of-a-kind’ youth hub officially opens in Mississauga
Published December 11, 2023 at 10:25 am
A new $12.6-million community centre in Mississauga’s north end that promises to be an “incredible youth space in Malton” officially opens to the public tomorrow night.
The 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 Tuesday evening.
The “one-of-a-kind” youth centre, which underwent a massive renovation to convert it from what was previously a school swimming pool, will welcome visitors from 6 to 8 p.m. Food, entertainment and an opening/reopening ceremony are all on tap at the event.
The wall in the atrium inside the new Malton Youth Hub delivers the perfect message, those associated with the new state-of-the-art facility say. (Photo: Ward 5 Coun. Carolyn Parrish social media)
“Be prepared to be amazed by this $12-million pool conversion,” Ward 5 Coun. Carolyn Parrish said recently on social media, adding the opening event has been 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.”
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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.
City 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.
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