Rolling my eyes...here we go...yet another city who wants a teen center, because the parents can't be interactive enough with their kids. Ever heard of this little place called the YMCA?

It is not always about having time for your kids... These days most mom's work full time in order to survive.. I am a single mom who works full time. I have a teenage son and i am 100% all of a teen center.. At least i know he wil be safe and not on on these ugly streets

The best part of this is that it "builds community". A community is safer when all age groups are involved in the community in some capacity. This would also give kids, police, and local service groups a chance to unite. Is it perfect and will it solve all our problems? no. However, in order to build bridges across the community, this is a positive idea.

It may sound like a great thing for the youth of the city, but it also can become a huge problem and a budget killer if it is not done right! A teen center is not the answer to the problems of drugs and crime because it can serve as a meeting place for planning of such activity. There also has to be bully prevention because no matter how much "team building" there are always those who will overstep their bounds. There is also the issue of how it will be funded, who will run it (hopefully not a political appointment) and then there is the screening process and the CORI of the potential employees to make sure the kids stay safe. I'm a glass half-empty kind of guy when government tries to take over the role parents should have in bringing up their kids. It also gives parents another venue to get rid of their kids for several hours...the role of family continues to be eroded as we accept more cultures and adapt to their way of doing things and relinquish our own traditional values!

"the role of family continues to be eroded as we accept more cultures and adapt to their way of doing things and relinquish our own traditional values!"

This comment is just inflammatory, as immigrant cultures tend to have extraordinary traditional family values. However, as parents (single or not) have to work full-time to survive economically and teens want to become more "American" and have more freedom from those traditional family bonds, as well as spend time with each other (totally appropriate for their age, when they are reaching out beyond their families to learn how to be more independence - immigrant and American teens alike do start to separate from their parents emotionally and socially) a teen center is a great idea. I hope such a center will have a wide range of activities available - arts, music, theater, physical fitness of all kinds (not just competitive sports which aren't for everyone), cooking, real life skills, etc.

Thank you. I am sure his office reads this and takes note of everyone's opinions.

Dont Linden and Newland st projects have teen centers or community rooms with pool tables etc?? We have 5 newer Schools and a "new" High school, and a few Charter schools through out the City Im sure exploring a teen center involving one of these properties is a money saver!!!. When I was a young buck we played basektball for free at the Y and some of the Jr Highs had after school activities like floor hockey, baseketball, theatre groups... all for FREE. Plenty of City owned and operated property we can use and Im sure there is surplus computers and sports equipment in a closet somewhere....

Teen centers won't work in Malden. The problem is way too far gone, like about 60 years ago. Those who used to hang at the Teen Center or "Y" in the day, now hang out at the local VFW, Legion, elks/moose, ect;, anywhere a cheap drink can be had. The Mayor is showing a nice soft approach, however, an iron fist is needed. That might not work either. Maybe what they do in LA, just turn a crime spot into an empty lot.

Don take a valium.