ORLANDO, Fla. — There was a sense of excitement in the air for children and parents Monday as community members came together to break ground on the site of a new Boys and Girls Club that will be the largest in the region.
- New Orlando Boys and Girls Club will be largest in Central Florida
- Facility will have gym, stage, music rooms, tech labs, art studios
- It will serve more than 250 kids a day; expected to open in December
The new facility, named the Jacqueline Bradley & Clarence Otis Family Branch in West Lakes, is located near Camping World Stadium at Orange Center Elementary. When it's completed, it will be the largest of Central Florida's 36 clubs.
With a quick turn of the shovel from community leaders, the West Lakes neighborhood is turning a page, taking a major step forward toward opening the future facility. The 30,000-square-foot facility will serve more than 250 kids a day from 6 to 18 years old.
Londin Myers, 10, is a fifth-grader at Orange Center Elementary and lives just a few minutes away. Although she'll leave for middle school next year, Myers said she’s excited to come back when the club opens, because she’s never been to one before.
“I’m glad I have a membership so I can start going,” Londin said.
The future Boys and Girls Club is the latest development to move into the neighborhood. Newly constructed affordable housing nearby recently began taking in residents, clearing away years of blight in the community with it.
Rich Black with the Lake Sunset Luola Terrace Neighborhood Association says he and other neighborhood leaders have been vocal with new developers coming in, making sure their voices are being heard and that any changes coming in are good for the community and its rich history.
“We always want to make sure that when new developers or others coming to the community, that they understand the structure and the culture of our community. So we want to maintain that. And I think that when we sit down, we talk and we speak and we communicate and we share, at the end of the day, we can make that a reality,” Black said.
Black said he and the other neighborhood association leaders around West Lakes are very excited to welcome in the new Boys and Girls Club to the neighborhood. The new facility will help ensure kids in the area have a fun and safe spot to go after school.
When it’s finished, the two-story club will have a full gymnasium with a built-in stage for performances as well as music rooms, art studios, and technology labs. Construction on the new club is expected to be completed by this December.