Gadsden County commissioners direct staff to vet sites for Boys & Girls Club after residents urge action

Gadsden County commissioners on a June 2025 special meeting voted to have each commissioner identify potential sites for a proposed Boys & Girls Club and directed county staff to vet those sites and report back at the next meeting.

The action followed more than an hour of public comment in which residents and local stakeholders urged the board to finalize a location for the club, which is funded by a grant executed in May 2024. Rochelle Robinson, a Quincy resident, told commissioners the county must “act expeditiously to avoid forfeiture of the funds.” Board Chair Carrie Throw, representing the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Big Bend, said the organization will build programs around community needs and that “our number 1 goal is to give the kids what they want.”

Why it matters: commissioners and residents repeatedly said the county risks losing momentum — and possibly grant advantages — if a site is not chosen soon. Speakers and commissioners discussed trade-offs between using county-owned land (including an MLK-area tract discussed earlier) and partnering with the city of Quincy on property such as the Joe Fairley recreation complex. Several residents warned that placing the facility far from the largest population centers could create transportation barriers for children who need after-school services.

Most of the public commenters favored a site on county-owned land near existing residential concentrations or the Joe Fairley complex to preserve options for athletics and future expansion. Ruth Black and other residents urged commissioners to avoid small, landlocked lots and to pick a site that would accommodate future fields and a pool. Parks and recreation staff told the board they are developing proposals for the Fantana Trail area and that some locations are not suitable for the club’s envisioned uses.

Commission discussion centered on three themes: proximity to students (clients), long-term operating costs, and availability/expandability of county-owned land. Commissioners suggested multiple candidate locations (including county-owned tracts near Midway/Havana and property referred to as the MLK tract, as well as a site near Phantom Trailer Park previously considered for a multipurpose complex). Several commissioners asked staff to prepare comparative vetting (topography, parking, expansion potential, rough cost implications) for each nominated site so the board could make an informed vote.

Action taken: a motion (mover/second not specified in the record) directing each commissioner to nominate one or more sites and directing staff, working with county attorney and relevant departments, to vet those sites and present findings at the next meeting. The board approved the motion with no recorded opposition.

Community reaction and next steps: speakers including local Boys & Girls Club volunteers and the county’s parks-and-recreation director urged a quick decision so architects can begin design. Commissioners set a near-term schedule for site visits and asked staff to return with vetted options within roughly two weeks to several weeks, depending on logistics. The $3,600,000 grant amount and the fact the grant agreement was executed in May 2024 were repeatedly cited by speakers as reasons to move quickly.

The board’s vote formally puts site-selection work into staff hands; it does not itself select a final location or change the grant terms.