City will reopen community center on Jacksonville's Southside near where teen's body was found

Neighbors are finally getting results months after a community center on Jacksonville’s Southside shut down.

It’s just steps away from the woods where 18-year-old Deshawn Terell Minor’s body was found on Sunday.

RELATED: Man finds teen’s body while feeding cats in Jacksonville park

Up until a few months ago, the Beachwood Center was providing after-school activities and homework help, keeping young people off the streets.

But after losing funding, the center’s doors were locked.

“The children don’t have any place to go,” said Janis Manners, secretary of the Beachwood Civic Association.

Janis Manners and her husband, David Manners, president of the Beachwood Civic Association, have been working with the city for months to try to reopen the center.

They’ve lived in Beachwood for 39 years.

“For this beautiful facility to go unused, it was just really disheartening. And the children just didn’t have a specific place to go when school was out,” said Janis Manners.

Less than 24 hours after Action News Jax started asking the city questions about the facility, the city announced it had found the funding to reopen the center.

“They’re going to offer summer camps, and winter camps and homework assistance. And they’re going to organize outdoor activities and indoor activities for the children that want to participate in the after-school program which is just phenomenal,” said Janis Manners.

The facility also has computers young people can use for homework.

Jacksonville City Councilman Scott Wilson said programs for young people are one piece of the puzzle to reduce the city’s crime rate.

“Hopefully, those measures will assist us in finding a solution to some of the violence that’s going on throughout our city,” said Wilson.

Starting on Monday, Dec. 10, the Beachwood Center will be open from 2 to 7 p.m.

Cox Media Group