ALAMOSA —  Under a bright blue sky, Aaron Miltenberger, Executive Director of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the San Luis Valley, stood on the patio outside 516 San Juan and addressed a crowd of elected officials, community leaders and longtime supporters on Friday afternoon in celebration of the ribbon cutting that officially marked the opening of The Hub, “the San Luis Valley’s first nonprofit coworking and innovation center”. 

“The Hub is more than a physical space,” Miltenbergr told the crowd. “It’s a platform for possibility. It’s where collaboration, innovation and entrepreneurship take root in a uniquely rural way – deeply connected to land, people and place.” 

Located at the corner of San Juan and 6th Street, The Hub has evolved over the past 18 months into the epitome of a true community resource center. Among all that’s available, two of their features stand out the most. 

Their spacious, full scale, commercial kitchen with its new floors, new refrigeration – including freezer space, new ovens and new warmers is already being used as the site for  several workshops, “Cooking Matters” youth classes and where three different vendors prepare their products. There is also garage space so if a food truck is used, it’s easy to “drive in and drive out”.  

And the “Gear Library” – a really innovative way to make outdoor equipment available to groups and individuals who wouldn’t have access otherwise – is “geared” up (so to speak) and ready to rent all terrain bicycles, rainproof gear, camping equipment, paddleboards, life vests, fishing equipment, snowshoes and other outdoor equipment.  

The initial plan is to slowly build out the Gear Library with the first focus on partner organizations working with youth groups. Individual rentals will definitely be available, just at a later date. The Gear Library will also have student interns working with outdoor equipment and learning about the outdoors. 

Built into the floorplan, the Hub has common areas that are perfectly suited for small group meetings or one-to-one closed door meetings with wifi available for those who need a workspace.  

The Hub is exactly as the name suggests: it’s the center of a lot of activity. 

“Here in the San Luis Valley,” Miltenberger said, “we’ve always had to do more with less. But we’ve also done more with each other – and that’s the spirit The Hub was built for. And this space is just the beginning.” 

In speaking with the Valley Courier, Miltenberger – whose approach has always had a strong holistic element – spoke about the decision to locate The Hub on 6th Street at the southernmost edge of the downtown area.  

“We want a vibrant downtown,” he said. “We could have located The Hub somewhere else but we’re committed to being a part of a vibrant downtown, which is growing with a new restaurant and the hotel under construction. And The Hub be a very vibrant space, too.”