History Blog: United Youth Center

In May, 1974, the Union City City Council approved the development and funds for a youth center in Decoto. The approval was for a five-year lease on an old warehouse at 33201 Railroad Avenue. The lease is $10,000 a year. The approval was also for $18,500 for building improvements and equipment (mostly a boxing ring).

The center was open starting at 4 p.m. and had programs for youth from the age of 10 up. The center offered boxing, martial arts, basketball, judo, volleyball, karate and cultural dancing.

On July 10, 1974, an informal opening was held for the center, with Mariachi music and Mexican food. Newspapers report that about 80 to 100 people attended the event. Mayor Tom Kitayama attended and singled out two people for recognition, Rev. Willie Reulas and John Hernandez, who both involved in the development of the center and in getting donations for equipment. The center still had a lot of work to be done. The showers were not installed and most of the recreational equipment had to be acquired and installed.

Before the opening, two dozen local youths spent their time cleaning up the warehouse and making it ready. These youths were the same ones that had approached the City with a request for a youth center.

Despite the informal opening, the official opening did not take place until October 31. The opening was started with a trick-or-treat time for younger children, from 4 to 6 p.m. Later, a teen dance was held starting at 7 p.m. and lasting until midnight.

At the Halloween party, the teenagers were asked to submit names for the center. The main three names that were submitted were United Center, Aztec Center and Union City Center. The final name approved was United Youth Center.

Joe Gaytan was the director of the center. He was a Union City resident, graduate of James Logan, and a student at Cal State Hayward. The other volunteer staff members are students from Cal State Hayward and Chabot College. High school students served as receptionists, clerks, and typists and received high school credit.

Over the years the youth center has some problems. The location made the center hard to find. The lack of parking was apparent during the busy tot-time programs. The gymnastics and boxing programs were the most popular.

In 1979, the five-year lease ran out and the youth center was closed, with the most of the programs being moved to other city locations.