BUILD Chicago opens home-away-from-home for West Side youth

The youth on Chicago’s West Side just got a new home away from home — at 57,000 square feet, it spans a city block and offers just about everything but a pool.

There’s a gym, music studio, computer lab and a garden and greenhouses. It has washers, dryers and private showers — services requested by the young people served by BUILD Chicago, the group behind the project.

“It really is all about providing a space for families to feel welcome, safe and supported,” said Adam Alonso, BUILD Chicago’s CEO. It’s important, Alonso said, “that they want to be here and see it as an extension of their neighborhood.”

The youth and family center, at Harrison Street and Laramie Avenue, will serve as the new headquarters of BUILD Chicago, which focuses on youth development.

Read the full article from the Chicago Sun-Times here.