A new Boys and Girls Club opened in Lacoochee over the weekend.
The club at Stanley Park is located across from Lacoochee Elementary School and gives kids a new place to go before and after school to learn and play. Dinner will be served at 4 p.m. five days a week as well.
At 16,000 square feet, the center replaces an old club at the Cypress Manor public housing complex in the impoverished corner of northeast Pasco County. It includes offices, a library, a computer lab, a game room, a meeting room, a kitchen and a dining hall. There's also a health clinic.
A final phase will include a gymnasium with a full basketball court and stage for concerts, plays and community meetings.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, the total investment for the center, including public and private funding, is about $2.5 million.