Juvenile detention center celebrates building renovation

Anthony Nocella, left, assistant professor of sociology at Fort Lewis College, talks with Diane Skufca, director of facility operations with the Colorado Division of Youth Services, and Kent Moe, executive director of Rite of Passage, on Thursday during an open house at the Robert E. DeNier Youth Services Center in Bodo Industrial Park. The facility had been closed for remodeling after a pipe burst in the ceiling of the gymnasium, causing water damage throughout the building.

Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

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Anthony Nocella, left, assistant professor of sociology at Fort Lewis College, talks with Diane Skufca, director of facility operations with the Colorado Division of Youth Services, and Kent Moe, executive director of Rite of Passage, on Thursday during an open house at the Robert E. DeNier Youth Services Center in Bodo Industrial Park. The facility had been closed for remodeling after a pipe burst in the ceiling of the gymnasium, causing water damage throughout the building.

Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Karen Murray, program director at the Robert E. DeNier Youth Services Center, describes how Freenotes Harmony Park outdoor musical instruments are therapeutic for students.

Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

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Karen Murray, program director at the Robert E. DeNier Youth Services Center, describes how Freenotes Harmony Park outdoor musical instruments are therapeutic for students.

Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Darrell Roberts, a teacher for committed students at the Robert E. DeNier Youth Services Center, talks about his teaching duties on Thursday. “I’ve had experience in a traditional classroom, and there is a lot we take for granted that I didn’t realize at first. You can’t use things like paper clips and staples here. I have to consider all of this before handing out materials,” he said.

Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

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Darrell Roberts, a teacher for committed students at the Robert E. DeNier Youth Services Center, talks about his teaching duties on Thursday. “I’ve had experience in a traditional classroom, and there is a lot we take for granted that I didn’t realize at first. You can’t use things like paper clips and staples here. I have to consider all of this before handing out materials,” he said.

Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

The common room, with living pods and 28 beds, in the Robert E. DeNier Youth Services Center, was repainted and the flooring was replaced after a pipe burst in the ceiling of the gymnasium. Water damage required most of the building to be repainted, along with the flooring in the classrooms and dining hall to be replaced.

Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

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The common room, with living pods and 28 beds, in the Robert E. DeNier Youth Services Center, was repainted and the flooring was replaced after a pipe burst in the ceiling of the gymnasium. Water damage required most of the building to be repainted, along with the flooring in the classrooms and dining hall to be replaced.

Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

The Robert E. DeNier Youth Services Center welcomed the public Thursday to show a renovated building on the day it celebrated the first graduation since it reopened.

The juvenile detention center helps to reintegrate troubled youth between the ages of 10 and 21 back into the community.

In January, the facility at 720 Turner Drive in Bodo Industrial Park was forced to close after a sprinkler pipe burst above the gymnasium, filling the ceiling with about 1,000 gallons of water.

“The ceiling eventually gave way. It looked like a waterfall,” said Karen Murray, program director with Rite of Passage, which operates the facility.

A quick reaction from staff saved all of the electronics in the building, but the floors and gymnasium ceiling were badly damaged.

“Staff did an amazing job. We did not lose a single computer. Everyone collectively came together and used squeegees to mop up the water. By that evening, there was no water in the building,” Murray said.

Youths at the center were temporarily relocated to secure facilities in Grand Junction and Pueblo before being dispersed elsewhere while repairs were being done.

Murray said the repairs cost about $118,000, and the center hired mostly local businesses to fix the water damage.

“The gym, where the pipe broke, was completely redone, including the ceiling and the floor. The whole building from the lobby back was repainted and flooring was redone,” Murray said.

Repair work included new paint and flooring in both classrooms, the dining hall and living spaces, which can house 28 youths.

The center reopened April 25, about three months after it closed for repairs. Fifteen youths, mostly from the Front Range, are being served at the facility.

“The process took longer than expected, but it was worth it. Everything is a collaboration between the state and Rite of Passage,” said David Lee, Division of Youth Services’ Western Region director.

On Thursday, one student received a high school diploma and another student received a GED certificate.

“This event is really important because graduation is a big deal for these kids,” Lee said.

Lee said the goal is to eventually offer drug and alcohol treatment for youths, bringing in more kids from around the state.

mrupani@durangoherald.com