SOUTHEAST REGION
$21 Million Total Project
$11 Million FCLF Federal NMTC Allocation
31,000 sq ft of new construction
Facility to expand services for low-income youth
78 Temporary and 18 Permanent Jobs estimated
“The closing of New Markets Tax Credit financing for this $21 million project marks a transformational milestone for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County and the young people we serve. We are deeply grateful to Florida Community Loan Fund for their continued commitment to expand opportunity for the children who need us most in our community. FCLF’s support helps bring the Julie & Mike Connors Club to life by enabling us to complete our capital campaign and deliver a state-of-the-art facility where thousands of youth will have access to the academic support, mentorship, and life-enriching programs they need to succeed. This investment is truly an investment in brighter futures..” – Jaene Mirando, President & CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County
Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County (BGCPBC) is the largest youth development organization in the county comprised of 12 school-based sites and 8 freestanding locations serving over 9,400 members, 85% of whom are low-income. The first Boys Club opened in West Palm Beach in 1969 providing young males a wholesome alternative to the streets. Expansion led to opening Clubs to females, officially changing the organization’s name to Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County by 1989. Since that time, BGCPBC has grown across the County – extending its reach even to communities along Lake Okeechobee such as Pahokee, Canal Point, South Bay, and Belle Glade – with a mission to enable all young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens
With financing through Florida Community Loan Fund’s New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program, BGCPBC will build the Julie & Mike Connors Club, a new 31,000-sq ft state-of-the-art youth development and workforce readiness Clubhouse on 1.65 acres of land within Dreher Park in West Palm Beach. At a total construction cost of approximately $21,000,000, the new club will encompass numerous age-specific flex spaces for dynamic learning experiences, an academic center, a cultural arts center, computer labs, a dance studio, a cafeteria, a commercial kitchen, a sound and recording studio, a makerspace, an indoor gymnasium with a performance stage, and an outdoor playground space. Ultimately, BGCPBC estimates it will serve 800 youth ages 6 to 18 annually with its targeted services.
Florida Community Loan Fund (FCLF) provided $11,000,000 in Federal NMTCs for the project, with additional NMTCs provided by FNB Community Partners, a Mississippi-based bank CDFI/CDE. The investor is Regions Bank. This transaction was completed in April 2026.
While BCGPBC has been actively raising capital and pursuing grants for years, the NMTC program is a critical source of capital to fill a substantial gap to ensure long-term programming will be put in place at the new Julie & Mike Connors Club.
FCLF first established its financing relationship with BGCPBC in 2019 upon the closing of an $8.4 million NMTC structure for a near-total replacement of the Belle Glade Club. The result was a brand new $13,860-sq ft facility intended to triple services to the community which, at the time of closing, was one of the most impoverished communities in Florida with a 50.7% poverty rate.
“Since its founding, Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County has spent decades expanding its reach to some of the most underserved youth in Florida. The new Connors Club facility is a testament to that unwavering commitment. FCLF is proud to once again use the power of NMTC funding to support BGCPBC and to help ensure Palm Beach County youth have a safe and state-of-the-art learning and enrichment environment to reach their full potential.” – Nelson Black, Chief Lending Officer, Florida Community Loan Fund
Community Profile:
- 800 reached annually; 85% low-income
- income 77% of area median income (AMI)
- 7.7% unemployment rate, 1.43x the national average
- FEMA Disaster Declaration Zone, SBA HUB Zone, HRSA qualified Medically Underserved Area
Pictured above and below, architectural renderings of Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County new Julie & Mike Connors Club.
