The Hive, expected to open by the end of 2016, will be located in the centre of Birkenhead, Wirral.
Initial designs for the £6m state-of-the-art youth centre have been unveiled by Seven Architecture, which was selected to design the youth zone by a panel of judges made up of local young people and representatives from OnSide and Wirral Borough Council.
Described as a “unique four-way partnership” between the private sector, local authorities, young people and communities, youth zones offer modern facilities where young people can learn new skills, make new friends and seek advice from youth workers.
Like other youth zones, The Hive will cater for eight- to 19-year-olds, and young people under 25 with disabilities.
Announcing the plans for the new youth centre, John Syvret, chair of the youth zone, said: “The Hive is for the young people of Wirral, so it is extremely important that the architects’ design reflect this.
“We’re delighted with Seven Architecture’s proposal, their designs are incredibly inspiring and I am sure this will develop into a fantastic facility for the young people of Birkenhead.”
Tony Smith, lead member for children and family services at Wirral Borough Council, added: “It’s fantastic to see this exciting development really starting to take shape and we are keen to continue engaging young people in Wirral in this project every step of the way.”
The announcement of the youth centre forms part of OnSide's plan to establish a network of 21 youth zones by 2020.
The organisation currently manages six facilities in Blackburn, Bolton, Carlisle, Manchester, Oldham and Wigan, and last year it announced plans to open a further four in Chorley, Preston, Wolverhampton and London.
