City and county leaders and community members last week broke ground on the new Avondale Youth and Family Development Center, which will provide recreation and learning opportunities. Dozens of Avondale youth attended the groundbreaking alongside neighborhood leaders and City of Chattanooga and Hamilton County officials.
With the current center dating back to 1949, the new $6 million facility represents a significant investment that was years in the making.
Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke said the new center is an investment in the people of Avondale.
“When we invest in people, Chattanooga will be better off in the long run. Because of your talent, somewhere down the line you’re going to make our city an even better place,” he told guests at the center.
The new center will be nearly double in size and include a full gym with bleachers, a softball field and improved outdoor basketball court, as well as a kitchen, a multipurpose room and learning labs.
Plans for the new center were created through input from youth as well as neighborhood residents and community leaders who attended multiple public design meetings over the last year.
“We took your input. We listened to what was important to you and we’re building a center that incorporates your ideas into the design,” Berke said. “With this center, we’re going to see more of our mission being realized – to break down the barriers that prevent people from living the life they want in our community.”
Source: Office of Mayor Berke