Youthset Teen Center Seeks St. Cloud Planning Commission Approval to Expand Facility

(KNSI) – A St. Cloud teen center is asking the city for permission to expand, with plans to add a gymnasium, classrooms, a dance studio, and more for area youth.

Youthset Teen Center goes before the Planning Commission on Tuesday, seeking an amendment to the lot’s Planned Unit Development to expand operations into the unoccupied portions of the building it leases at 1415 5th Street North.

The center, led by Tyrone Reynolds, first opened in East St. Cloud in 2023 and moved to the 5th Street North location in 2025. It’s already operating in part of the building. The expansion would convert the high-bay warehouse area into an indoor gymnasium, add changing rooms, and create a new entryway where an overhead garage door currently sits on the northeast side.

A later construction phase would add a reception area, classrooms, a dance studio, a dining area, an art and salon space, a gaming lab, and a possible coffee shop.

The project has funding in motion. Youthset received $75,000 in March from federal Community Development Block Grant funds administered by the city of St. Cloud to help refurbish the gymnasium.

City staff and the Engineering Department both recommend approval.

The building dates to 1946 and has been used for commercial and industrial purposes for more than 75 years. It’s surrounded on three sides by single-family homes, with the BNSF rail yard to the north.

Parking has been a concern for neighbors in the past. Residents raised complaints when the teen center first opened off 5th Street. The site has eight off-street parking spaces with no on-street restrictions in the area. Staff said that should be sufficient for daily operations, but on-street parking may be needed during larger events.

Reynolds stated in the application that the expanded center would primarily serve enrolled teens and their families rather than being open to the general public.

The planning commission meets at 6:00 p.m. on April 14th, in the city council chambers at city hall.

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