On Saturday, May 18th, the city of Menlo Park celebrated the grand opening of the Belle Haven Community Campus. Hundreds attended the ribbon ceremony and toured the Meta and city-funded community building.
“The goal of this project was to unify all ages, and provide a space for us all to learn, build, and be a part of our collective community,” Mayor Cecilia Taylor said in her speech to the excited crowd before the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The building is 37,000 square feet and includes the Belle Haven Library, Belle Haven Youth Center, Menlo Park Senior Center, Belle Haven Pool, and the Onetta Harris Community Center. Inside the building are a variety of spaces, including a full-length gym, dance studio, and maker space.
Assistant Director of Library and Community Services Nick Szegda spoke about how the center came about. “The community has been advocating for updated facilities for many years. We started working towards getting a new branch for the library five years ago. With Meta coming into the neighborhood, we reached out to them,” Szegda said. “We are here to provide what the community needs, which they told us was a safe, updated place to gather and learn.”
Kendra Calvert, the Public Engagement Manager said, “The vision for the Belle Haven Community Campus was to create a multi-generational center where people of all ages and abilities could learn, grow, and thrive. Our goal is to continue to increase outreach and engagement with all of our residents.”
Szegda added, “I’m excited to see what the community wants. We want to hear about what they want and need. We’re going to adjust our programs to meet those needs.”
The building also features a room specifically for teens where they can relax, study, play games, and talk to their friends.
Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) president and junior Ayla Karadogan said, “It’ll serve teens by allowing them to explore their creativity and interact with others from different demographics.”
“We have lots of resources for students. We have laptops they can check out, test prep materials, board games, and resources for students whose second language is English,” YAC advisor and librarian Ella Hadrovic said, “There is going to be lots of library staff on hand and we are a resource for them to help connect them to what they need.”
Hadrovic added, “We will also be creating a Teen Advisory Group (TAG) for the Belle Haven Community Campus for teens in Belle Haven to share their voices.”
City Manager Justin Murphy said, “We hope the buildings will serve local residents and we’ll see what else we can do to improve services, programs, and infrastructure within the community.”
