Repurposed Bee Ridge Park building offers relaxing after-school spot for teens

Tucked away in an unassuming white building in Bee Ridge Park is a homier environment than one might expect. 

Program specialist Dana Zolla said some visitors from earlier times have taken to the newer setup of the facility, which, as of September 2023, has been The Ridge Teen Center.

The former multi-use recreation center had previously been used to host summer camps, and also served as a dance studio.

"There's some people that we've had that came in from when they were here in the '90s, and they were a camper then, and they were like, ‘What is this place now?'" she said. "It's a complete shock, and then some of them are actually bringing their kids here to experience what they had.”

The building's entirely white interior was painted calming colors including grey and dark blue, with decorations added, and with a variety of fun activities for teens placed throughout its interior.

The center, which serves kids ages 11 to 17, is the first teen center Sarasota County has officially owned and operated. 

Photo by Ian Swaby

Zolla said the county established The Ridge because it saw a lack of opportunities for teenagers in the immediate area. 

For instance, while there are Little League opportunities for younger kids, she said, there are few activities for middle school kids and teens. 

“There's this big gap of fun, free opportunities for kids in a safe environment,” she said.

The center is not just for kids, but also allows parents to ensure their kids are safe while they complete activities such as grocery shopping.

However, Zolla said, after a year, the major focus of staff right now is still helping the public to find the location. 

A major improvement has still taken place, she said, as the center went from almost no registrants on its first day a year ago, and has now reached about five kids a day. 

She said kids will find a "multitude" of entertainment activities that include video game tournaments, pool tournaments and movies, and sometimes food opportunities including pizza and snacks. 

The facility is lined with features that include arcade games, including classic titles such as Ms. Pac Man and others; board games; a foosball table; a pool table; a basketball toss game and an arts and crafts center.

Photo by Ian Swaby

She said inside the teen center, a community is growing, with many kids forming friend groups.

“We see them continuously coming in, and when one of them doesn't show up for a while, the others ask, 'Have you seen so and so?' I think that's great there. They care about each other, even if they met just a couple of months ago.”

Since the county recently lowered the minimum age to 11, The Ridge saw a significant rise in the number of kids in attendance due to the nearby Wilkinson Elementary. 

“We have kids that ride their bikes here, that do scooters here, skateboard here, just from that one school, because we lowered our age range to 11,” she said. 

Although she hopes that teens have fun in the facility, she also hopes that the color scheme and atmosphere emphasizes calm. 

“Teenagers prefer that calmness; they want an escape from school and the chores and all the other responsibilities that they are having, getting older," she said. "Here, they can just be a kid again.”