CONTRA COSTA COUNTY OFFICIALS are continuing to work on plans to build a new $23 million youth center in Brentwood — once projected to open at the end of this year — but now the cost has increased and the opening date has been pushed back to 2028.
The center, intended to serve youths, ages 12 to 18, is slated to be built on a 4-acre parcel off Windy Springs Lane near Lone Tree Way — sharing the site where Contra Costa County Fire Protection District’s new Fire Station 90 is planned.
Fire Station 90 has detailed designs that were reviewed by the Brentwood City Council late last year, drawing some community feedback, but the youth center itself has yet to develop formal architectural plans.
The project is funded through Measure X, a 20-year, half-cent county sales tax approved by voters in November 2020 that generates around $120 million annually for services, including youth programs, public safety and health care. The youth center prioritizes community support for youth, health care and safety.
According to county reports, youth centers were one of the highest priorities identified by the Measure X advisory board.
As per county planning documents, the Brentwood youth center is still in its conceptual phase, with plans for a 15,000-square-foot facility. The total project budget is now $23 million, with $10 million coming from Measure X funds and $13 million coming from capital reserves, according to a February 2026 Capital Planning and Projects Update.
That update was presented Feb. 3 to the Board of Supervisors by Chief Assistant County Administrator Eric Angstadt as part of a broader overview of proposed and active county capital projects.
The update provided information on the Brentwood center within a larger portfolio of Measure X-funded facilities, including a planned youth center in District 5 in Pittsburg. Angstadt’s report outlines how youth centers fit into the county’s long-term infrastructure strategy alongside other public safety community amenities. In total, the county is overseeing 10 projects totaling $449.9 million.
Some youth services already available
Although construction of a facility has yet to begin, Measure X funding already is being used to support youth programs across District 3, which includes parts of Antioch and all of the incorporated cities of Brentwood and Oakley. “Services will be provided within the boundaries of the specified districts at a service location determined by the providers, until a brick-and-mortar location is available,” said Kristi Jourdan, director of Contra Costa County’s Office of Communications and Media.
Jourdan also said the center will be open to youths, age 12-18, “with an emphasis on target populations such as low-income and system-involved youth.”
When asked about staffing once the center opens, Jourdan said, “this is to be determined.”
Despite the scale of the project, some local students were surprised to hear about the youth center.
“I actually haven’t heard of it until you mentioned it right now,” said Paulette Equihua, a 10th grader at Heritage High School in Brentwood. “I think that maybe things like this should be announced more often or pushed out more to teens.”
Akshita Nanduri, another Heritage High 10th grader, said that she was also unaware of the proposed center.
“The library closes at 4, and a lot of people need a place to stay after school,” she said. “The Broadway Library is across town, which isn’t really realistic for people to go to every day.”
She added that students often have to choose between socializing and finishing schoolwork because of limited after-school spaces.
Both students said the lack of awareness reflects how disconnected students often feel from local planning decisions — even when those decisions directly affect students their age.
While Heritage High School does have a library, Equihua said its early closing time limits how useful it is for many students.
“If you’re hanging out with friends, that’s good for your mental health,” Equihua said. “But if you’re doing homework, the time is really limited.”
Equihua said a youth center could help solve that problem if it’s designed with students’ actual needs in mind.
County Supervisor Diane Burgis, who represents District 3, said the youth center is intended to address long-standing service gaps in East Contra Costa County.
“There are things students used to get exposed to, building trades, home economics, art, that aren’t as strong in schools anymore. This will be a place to explore those interests.”
District 3 Supervisor Diane Burgis
“East Contra Costa is one of the fastest-growing areas in the Bay Area,” Burgis said. “We need to continue building community and making sure young people have access to opportunities.”
According to Burgis, the center will offer academic support, mental health resources, career exploration, and hands-on programs such as trade apprenticeships, gardening and cooking.
“There are things students used to get exposed to, building trades, home economics, art, that aren’t as strong in schools anymore,” Burgis said. “This will be a place to explore those interests.”
Mental health, mentoring and more
The center will also provide a variety of programs to support youth well-being, including peer-led mental health education, mentoring for students facing challenges like foster care or justice involvement, and hands-on art activities, such as podcasting and visual arts.
Teens will have access to sports, fitness and job readiness programs, including internships and financial literacy training, as well as youth leadership opportunities to develop advocacy, public speaking, and community organizing skills.
Program success will be measured through academic improvement, skill development, and the number of youth who report feelings of well-being as a result, according to the 2025 Contra Costa Workforce Development Board Request for Proposal document.
The youth center will be built behind Fire Station 90, which will face Lone Tree Way when it is built. Burgis said the shared site could reduce costs by using the same architects and contractors.
Although early projections placed the opening in 2026, Burgis said the county now expects the center to open in early 2028, citing challenges in finding a suitable site and completing the design process.
The District 3 center is one of three Measure X youth centers planned countywide, with others slated for Concord (District 4) and Pittsburg (District 5).
Students like Equihua say the success of the center will depend on whether youth voices continue to be considered. “If it doesn’t meet students’ needs, there’s really no use for it,” she said. “People just won’t go.”
ShraddhaGouri Pallerla is a 10th grader at Heritage High School in Brentwood and a CCYJ reporter. This story originally appeared in CCSpin.