Bannock County breaks ground on new building to help at-risk youth and fairgrounds officials

POCATELLO – County officials joined together to officially begin construction on a building that will serve two different community functions.

Bannock County and construction officials broke ground on a new building that will serve as the Youth Development Center and office space for the Bannock County Event Center. The county expects to have the 7,000-square-foot future building constructed by the end of the year.

“I am so excited for these kids to have … that sense of pride that the community cares about them and will invest in them and hopefully help them move on their path forward,” said Bannock County Commissioner Jeff Hough during his speech.

The Bannock County Youth Development Center is a day program that has been serving high-risk youth in the community for around 25 years, helping them develop educational and pre-vocational skills. It’s located in a building by the courthouse and elections office that once served as the county jail.

In his speech, Matt Olsen, the director of Bannock County Juvenile Justice, explained how the center started after the county had constructed its current jail.

“We asked the commissioners at the time, ‘Well, can we have the old jail?’ And they said we could, but we didn’t have any money to remodel, so we scraped together what we could and got help, and we took one of the pods and turned it into a classroom,” Olsen said.

This program has grown to serve around 45 kids every year, who earn approximately 300 school credits per year.

“They’re willing to show perseverance and incredible strength to learn what they need to learn in terms of their academics (and) to be able to try new things,” Olsen said.

This new building will be the program’s new home once it’s completed.

The building will also replace the current office used by fairground officials, which is a nearly 75-year-old house.

“That one is, as you can tell, not in the greatest of condition,” said Dan Kendell, facilities director for the county, in an interview with EastIdahoNews.com. “So we’re excited to get them out of that house and into a proper office.”

The new building will have a conference room for fairground officials to meet, offices for them and the Youth Development Center staff, a classroom, and a serving kitchen.

The Honorable Anson Call, a 6th District Magistrate Judge, said that placing the center in the fairgrounds shows that the county is proud of the program.

“The Youth Development Center is not being tucked away in some quiet corner of the county. It’s being placed front and center, right in the middle of what we’re proud of,” Call said.