Feb 2, 2026
SARASOTA, Fla. (WFLA) — The Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and Desoto counties is moving forward with plans to replace the aging Roy McBean Boys & Girls Club in Sarasota’s Newtown neighborhood.
The facility opened back in 1997, but nearly three decades later, it is nearing its lifespan.
“We first started providing programming in this community in the 1990s. At the time, this was the largest Boys & Girls Club built on public housing property,” said club director Nate Brown.
In January, City commissioners approved permits allowing for plans to move forward on the new Irving and Marilyn Naiditch campus.
The nearly 23,000 square foot structure will include classrooms, a technology lab, a gymnasium, a commercial teaching kitchen, and a community food pantry, among other areas.
“We are in a food scarcity zone, so we are going to be able to give back food to our community, which is probably one of the most essential things,” said program director Clarence Battle.
The state-of-the-art facility has also been designed to be more resilient against future storms.
“Our organization has always wanted to go where the kids need us the most and this is an area where kids need to be safe, kids need homework help, they need places to have fun, they need places to eat healthy meals and we try our best to provide all of those things,” said Brown.
Club leaders say construction is slated to begin this year and the hope is for a 2027 completion to coincide with the club’s 30th anniversary.
The new building is being constructed on an open field just south of the existing building. This will allow the existing club to remain open to kids and teens with no interruption in services.
For staff members like Nate Brown and Clarence Battle, who grew up attending the club, the new campus represents an investment in future generations.
“A new club isn’t just a building, it is a generational promise of continued support, continued academical growth, continued love, family and community that is going to be felt throughout all the Boys & Girls Club members and the community. It is going to be a safe place, a safe home, it absolutely means everything,” said Battle.
