A 50-plus-year-old building in Des Moines now has more youth to it. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Iowa opened its new Youth Mentoring Center, located at 2130 Grand Ave., in November. 

“As the Greater Des Moines communities grow, the needs for mentoring our youth continues to grow – Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Iowa is uniquely positioned to step in and serve those needs,” said CEO Bridget Cravens-Neely in a prepared statement ahead of the opening. “Our new Youth Mentoring Center makes us more accessible and provides a safe and fun gathering place for our matches while also offering community space for outside organizations to use. This center also accommodates our growing team and programs. We have more space to interview families, Littles and Bigs and form new mentoring matches.”

In late 2023, the nonprofit announced its purchase of the 10,500-square-foot building. Renovations, completed in September, expanded the agency’s workspaces for staff, created new spaces for interaction and added community conference rooms. The office spaces, located on the second floor, gave staff more room to spread out and more nooks for collaboration, Cravens-Neely said. A central kitchenette allows them to come together for meetings or lunch.

The building’s exterior and front entryway sport the agency's green and black branding. Photo by Duane Tinkey

The building’s exterior and front entryway sport the agency's green and black branding. Photo by Duane Tinkey

Staff offices are located upstairs. Most of the entire floor had to be gutted as part of the renovation to create more space for collaboration. Photo by Duane Tinkey

Big Rachel Christensen and Little Gabby play a round of Hungry Hungry Hippos. Photo by Duane Tinkey

The building’s basement has space for Bigs and Littles to have some fun together. At far left, Little Bentley watches his Big Miranda Bunkers line up her shot at the pool table while Little Miyah looks on. (Miya’s Big, not pictured, is Nathan Brooks, the agency brand ambassador.) At far right, Big Rachel Christensen and Little Gabby take a turn on the basketball arcade game. Photo by Duane Tinkey

Weeks after opening, multiple community groups had already taken advantage of the nonprofit’s new conference rooms. Photo by Duane Tinkey

Weeks after opening, multiple community groups had already taken advantage of the nonprofit’s new conference rooms. Photo by Duane Tinkey

The staff kitchenette is available for meetings and meals. Photo by Duane Tinkey

A main focus of the organization’s programming is partnering mentors (Bigs) with mentees (Littles). Several rooms throughout the main floor and the basement were designed to create a safe space for Bigs and Littles, who meet for activities twice a month, to hang out together. On the main floor, there are smaller spaces to read or play board games. Downstairs, there is a gaming console, a basketball arcade game, a pool table and a closet full of games that can be checked out. 

“We really try to promote low-cost activities,” said Nathan Brooks, the agency brand ambassador. “[This gives us] the ability to say, ‘Hey, just come here.’ They can go grab some hot chocolate on Ingersoll … then come over here to hang out, do homework or play board games. That should cost next to nothing, so we want to provide that free space for it.”

The layout of the building is another plus. At the nonprofit’s former location, when staff interviewed parents as part of the initial intake of program participants, their kids would have to play on the opposite side of the building until they finished meeting. Now the kids can play games or read right next door to the interview rooms so parents can keep an eye on them, Brooks said. Cravens-Neely said the building also offers more accessibility with larger bathrooms for people who use mobility devices.

Several public and private partners have made contributions to make the renovation possible. Beyond its mentoring services, the agency wanted to give back to community partners by making some of its meeting rooms available for community use. After being open only a few weeks at the time of the Business Record’s tour in December, several groups had already taken advantage of the opportunity, Cravens-Neely said. 

Dean Snyder Construction, Dentons Davis Brown, Knapp Properties and SVPA Architects were operational partners in the youth mentoring center’s acquisition, renovation and project completion, according to the nonprofit.