Choices for Youth has big plans for century-old building in St. John's
The non-profit is expanding with a new location in the west end to serve more people, says executive director
In the next few weeks, sounds of banging hammers will ring out at the long-vacated property at 340 LeMarchant Rd. in the west end of St. John's.
Choices for Youth executive director Sheldon Pollett is looking forward to the sound. Next year his organization will open a retail space, a training school and office space all under one roof.
"LeMarchant Road, for us, is the next step in the journey around building out a very robust ecosystem of social enterprises that are built and designed, quite frankly, to generate meaningful training, education and employment opportunities for the young people we work with," Pollett said Friday.
The organization has been focused on helping at-risk youth for more than two decades through job training, housing, programming and employment.
The new location will have space for the organization's education, employment and social enterprise program, which is currently housed at its Ropewalk Lane location.
Pollett said the retail space will house the non-profit's social enterprises, which includes additional locations for Crust Craft Bakery, second-hand shop Neighbourhood and Impact Construction, and there will also be room for other organizations that Choices for Youth partners with.
"It's like a collision space around brilliant bright minds who come together and create even more opportunities for our province," said Pollett.
For Pollett, making the move to the west end was a natural step. For the last 20 years, he explained, they've had a physical presence in the downtown core. But he pointed to the changing dynamic of the city and the metro region.
He said his organization has heard from people who wanted services in other areas of the city and that the west end is an up and coming neighbourhood.
Pollett stressed the organization will be maintaining its home on Duckworth Street and that the expansion is just the next step in Choices for Youth's growth.
"We really do see this facility — as much as it's based here in St. John's — being the next step of a catalyst to a bigger, more impactful conversation when it comes to how social enterprise can't solve all the problems, but can be a part of the solutions," he said.
Pollett also sees this expansion as a bit of bad news and good news wrapped together, as year over year, Choices for Youth is serving more youths and young families.
Old building to be restored
The new building Choices for Youth owns was previously Avalon Garage and Service Station, also known as Grouchy's.
It was built in 1929 and had been previously a Scotsburn warehouse. It has been sitting empty for years.
Pollett said the plan is to restore the old facade of the nearly century-old building but the building itself is going to need a full restoration.
"Right now it's basically a big concrete bunker, an empty building, which is actually good because there's not a lot to undo," he said. "But there is some repair work with the basic structure. It'll be an industrial look."
He said he wants the property to appeal to young people and is aiming for an industrial look. But at the end of the day it's meant to be a place where work happens, too, he said.
"People are not just talking about social enterprises there. People are actually operating, rolling up sleeves on a daily basis, you know, making social enterprise work," said Pollett.
Renovations are estimated to take a year to complete.
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