Boys and Girls Clubs break ground at Dreier Park; $25M raised toward $28M campaign

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Officials and donors gathered at Dreier Park on [date not specified] to break ground for the Julie and Mike Connors Boys and Girls Club and Workforce Readiness Center, a new facility organizers say will open in spring 2026 and serve more than 800 children ages 6 to 18.

Jeannie Miranda, president and CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County, said the project was launched by a $5,000,000 lead gift and has grown into a $28,000,000 capital-and-endowment campaign. "It is our goal to welcome more than 800 children every year, ages 6 to 18, and to grow our youth impact here in the city of West Palm Beach," Miranda said. Tom Kerchuck, chairman of the organization's foundation board, said the campaign has raised $25,000,000 of the $28,000,000 goal and that the remaining $3,000,000 will cover buses, classroom furniture and equipment, kitchen equipment, signage, and safety and communication equipment.

The club will be built on city-leased land at Dreier Park in City of West Palm Beach District 5. Mayor Keith James described the project as part of a broader effort to provide low-cost child care and after-school opportunities in neighborhoods near the site. "For the kids to come here to the Boys and Girls Club, families gonna gonna be charged $35 a year and that's only if their family can't afford it," James said.

Organizers described program offerings that will include academic support, preparation for postsecondary credentials, arts and music programming, science and technology activities, culinary arts, construction-trades exposure, internships and apprenticeships, and a workforce readiness center designed to connect older teens with career pathways. Miranda and Kerchuck credited a long list of donors and partners for pushing the project forward, including the lead gift from Julie and Mike Connors and in-kind or construction partners named at the ceremony.

Officials said the club will expand services already provided by the Boys and Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County, which serves more than 40,000 children across the county and maintains existing clubs in the Pinewood and Westgate neighborhoods. At the ceremony Kerchuck thanked major donors and named organizations who contributed to program-room namings or in-kind services; he also noted construction costs have risen, creating the current fundraising shortfall.

City and community representatives in attendance included Mayor Keith James, County Commissioners Joe Flores, Greg Weiss and Bobby Powell, and Nathan Fulcelli representing Commissioner Christina Lambert. Miranda recognized long-time staff and volunteers, including former CEO Mary O'Connor and multiple consulting, design and construction firms involved in the project. Event participants completed a ceremonial ground-breaking at the conclusion of the program.

The Boys and Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County said the club aims to open in spring 2026; final construction and program start dates are subject to the completion schedule of the general contractor and the availability of the remaining campaign funds.