Arlington Hts. leans toward 1 group to fill Teen Center

Metro Chicago Youth for Christ's plans for the vacant Arlington Heights Teen Center got the best reviews Thursday from the village's youth commission out of four groups that have submitted proposals.

The commission took no official stand and eliminated only one of the groups that have submitted plans for the building. The Metro Chicago group got positive marks from several adult members of the commission, but teen members did not comment.

The Arlington Heights village board, which closed the Teen Center last spring because of budget problems, has the final say on the building's use. The board will act after receiving a recommendation from the youth commission.

The other three organizations that submitted proposals are Greater Wheeling Area Youth Outreach Inc., The Bulgarian Learning Center and Arlington Montessori School.

The members decided the Montessori school's plan does not fit the commissioners' hopes that the building continue to serve as a drop-in center for middle and high school students, and promote their social and physical development.

The Wheeling group provides mentoring and tutoring to selected District 214 students who are in special education or whose families have economic issues. Its proposal said its programs in Arlington Heights would probably concentrate on students from Hersey and Prospect high schools and the middle schools that feed them.

The plan seemed to promise to operate a drop-in center from 5 to 8 p.m. two nights a week. But commissioners wanted the center to be open more frequently as a drop-in center and were not pleased that teens would apparently have to pay a fee for the drop-in time. They also were not clear who would staff it during those hours.

Philip Herman, executive director of GWAYO, said Friday that the commission had not seen the final draft of his proposal, which planned drop-in hours five nights a week after 5 p.m. Commission members, however, expressed a desire that there also be open hours immediately after school. Herman also said that a separate group he is affiliated with, The Way to Him, has a religious component. That organization would use the center but would not be involved in the drop-in hours.

Metro Youth for Christ proposed operating an after-school and weeknight drop-in center free to young people and hopefully with some former Teen Center staff members.

Commissioners want to know how religion would be expressed at a center run by Metro Youth for Christ. James McCalister, director of health services, said he did not know whether the village board would object to partnering with a religious organization.

Metro Youth for Christ officials told him the group's center in Kankakee is most like what is planned for Arlington Heights. Metro Youth for Christ also operates centers in Chicago and Downers Grove, and what are called campus outreach in Barrington, Lake Zurich, Mundelein and Wheaton.

Commissioners decided to invite representatives of the Greater Wheeling group and Metro Youth for Christ to make short proposals and answer questions at a Sept. 16 meeting.

The commission asked McCalister to inquire whether the Bulgarian Learning Center would be satisfied with using the center only on Saturdays, which might make it compatible with another user.

Center: Commission doesn't want teens charged for drop-in time