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After 36 years in the city, Teen Center of Elk Grove has closed after the city decided not to renew the lease on its building.
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The nonprofit organization’s activities at 8978 Elk Grove Blvd. have already ceased, according to its website, and the lease ends Sept. 30.
“Until we can find a new location, we are packing up and praying for a future home,” a statement from the Elk Grove Teen Center on its website said.
In a statement, the city said the decision came after “several years of significant operational and financial challenges that have not been satisfactorily addressed by the organization to support entering into a new lease agreement.”
The city said the building also “requires significant renovation and improvements.” The city owns the building, according to the Sacramento County Assessor’s Office.
“This transition period will allow the city to assess the building’s future use and identify improvements needed to ensure the facility can effectively serve community needs,” the statement said.
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The city is working to expand youth programming and operating partnerships, including activities at either the same location or at the site of the former Elk Grove Library as it moves to a new location this fall. The Elk Grove Unified School District is also offering a new free after-school program nearby at Joseph Kerr Middle School, the city said in its statement.
“The end of the current lease provides the city with an opportunity to evaluate how the teen center building and former library building could best be used to meet the evolving needs of young people in our community,” the statement said.
In a statement posted on Facebook, Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen said “the future will hold new opportunities” for teen activities in the city.
“As a former Teen Center Board of Director, this decision was difficult but necessary,” Singh-Allen said. “The good news is that there are a number of resources available on the East Side.”
The nonprofit has served Elk Grove since 1990, according to its website, and has offered activities such as homework help, drop-in assistance and community events.
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