Bay St. Louis Boys and Girls Club Teen Center

The Boys and Girls Club Teen Center of Bay St. Louis is located in the formerVo-TechBuildingof theHistoricVelenaC.JonesSchoolbuilt in 1956 which original housed homemaking classes and a large open garage space for Auto Shop.  This 4,700 square foot renovation honors the original garage and classroom space modified to fit the needs of the Teenagers attending the Boys and Girl Club.

It was important to the Boys and Girls Club for the teenagers to have a space of their own without the atmosphere of a day-care.  The original garage space was restored to accommodate pool tables, air hockey and lounge seating; a stage was added for small performances and movies.  The former homemaking classroom remains a classroom, now with computer stations and tables for larger projects.  While the exposed wood structure ceiling is original, colorful gypsum board clouds were added to accommodate lighting and mitigate sound.  The exterior was fully restored, including restoration of the original steel windows, new roof and the addition of sidewalks.  The space between buildings was renovated to include a courtyard with benches, trees, picnic area and a full basketball court.