MANSFIELD — A group of young adults is seeking financial support to construct a youth center in the north end of Mansfield that will feature a roller skating rink.
Millennials Create submitted a request for Community Development Block Grant funds to the city earlier this year, but their request was denied due to a lack of administrative detail.
According to group president Trai’Shaun Beard, a Mansfield Senior graduate of 2009, the North End Community Improvement Collaborative serves as Millennials Create’s fiscal agent, meaning people may make a donation to Millennials Create through NECIC.
The group is still waiting on final estimates on how much the youth center will cost, but believes the roller rink portion will be about $200,000.
Steven Taylor, a Mansfield Senior graduate of 2001, discussed his dream of building a youth center in the area during an event attended by Beard.
“We (Millennials Create) also had this vision,” Beard said. “And we were also looking for people to come on the board.”
Taylor now serves as vice president of Millennials Create.
“Everybody seems to have the same consensus that we want to see something in the city change, especially with the youth,” Beard said. “All the violence that’s been going on, I mean it’s been going on for years, but it just seems like it’s getting worse.”
That’s why Millennials Create hopes to create a facility where local youth can learn, create and have fun.
Millennials Create board members all grew up or currently live in Mansfield. Each member has an expertise in areas such as hair, photography, videography, fashion, health, gardening, communication and fitness.
The group envisions the youth center, or “Millennials Create Community Zone,” to fulfill a number of purposes, including youth education, community engagement, recreational activity and more. The educational component will target theater, crafts and music exploration.
“The youth is our future,” Beard said.
Millennials Create hopes to target low-income individuals, though anyone will be welcome to use the facility.
As outlined in preliminary plans, the youth center will consist of computer rooms, a rock climbing wall, arcade, food hut, lounge area, laser tag, and potentially other small businesses.
Millennials Create formed in the summer of last year. It currently has over 20 members.
Last June, the group held The Flint Event, a fundraiser aimed at supporting residents of Flint, Michigan affected by the water crisis. The benefit, which featured live performances, fashion, poetry and artwork, raised 200 cases of water and almost $600 in donations.
Millennials Create will hold a networking event May 20 for young professionals at Temp2Higher in downtown Mansfield from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
For more information about Millennials Create, visit its Facebook page. There’s also a GoFundMe account set up to help fund the youth center.
