City’s newest teen room opens at McMillan Park

A ribbon‑cutting ceremony was hosted on Tuesday to unveil the newest teen room at McMillan Park, 343 Goos St. The space will serve as a safe place for teens to socialize and “be kids for a change,” said Mayor Marshall Simien, Jr. It is designed exclusively for teens, and features amenities including a video gaming area, pool table bean bags and a radical paint job. Councilman Donal Fondel, District B, said the center will help the community collectively raise the children and teens. “It takes a village around here to raise children and the community center has always been that center,” he said. “We really need these types of things done in the community.” It marked the second teen‑dedicated space opened by the city in recent years. In March 2024, the city introduced its first teen room at the Donald Ray Stevens Recreation Center at Goosport Park, 1619 Cessford St. The openings reflected the city’s commitment to providing safe spaces where children of all ages could gather, learn, and play, Simien said. Assistant Director of Recreation and Parks Hannah Veazey said the teen room at Goosport Park has been a big hit with, and she believes this center’s position will be able to help even more teens, as it is close to a housing complex and a preschool. “There’s a lot more foot traffic that’s gonna come in,” she said. “Young kids already come over here . so I’m trying to catch their older siblings. Citadel Financial Controller Paige Manuel said the company was built on the principle of making a positive impact on the world, and that has to start in the community. After discussions, they identified that the city needs a place for teens to feel safe, “just exist and not get into trouble.” Citadel provided $15,000 for the initial contribution, and intends to contribute a total of $25,000.
https://americanpress.com/2025/11/26/citys-newest-teen-room-opens-at-mcmillan-park/