\u201cWhen we had the Boys & Girls Clubs, it was successful for the time that it was there, but it had just fallen off because we didn\u2019t have a permanent place,\u201d Denton County Commissioner Bobbie J. Mitchell said.<\/p>\n
Mitchell was an early champion of the program. The commissioner, whose district includes Lewisville and Flower Mound, said the need for these after-school programs didn\u2019t go away just because the former chapter did.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She noted that although recorded rates of child poverty have gone down in recent years, 5.9% of children in the county still live below the federal poverty line.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s not just after-school care. It\u2019s an investment in the kids,\u201d Mitchell added.<\/p>\n
Building structure<\/p>\n
Barlow first spoke with commissioners publicly in February 2022. Back then, she was careful not to overpromise on building a physical facility within a certain time frame.<\/p>\n
Primary steps didn\u2019t involve identifying a location for a facility but rather building connections in an area with which the Tarrant nonprofit was unfamiliar.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fortworthreport.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Copy-of-BGC-Lewisville-Rendering-1-1024x449.jpg\")
The new club, located at 195 W. Corporate Drive in Lewisville, will include an outside court and playground. (Courtesy | Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County)<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not only about partnership, but it\u2019s about support,\u201d Denton County Judge Andy Eads said. \u201cIt\u2019s about support to identify new and future donors. It\u2019s about identifying volunteers. It\u2019s about communicating that this is an asset so that the public knows how to avail themselves of it and take advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was the nonprofit\u2019s priority for years, Barlow said, way before the Lewisville fire station became an option.<\/p>\n
When the opportunity to move forward with a location in Lewisville opened up, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County decided to move forward with the proposition.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re very grateful that we\u2019ve had the opportunity to raise some money to renovate the property, and we\u2019re in the process of putting the final touches on the building to open it up in time for kids to attend at the start of school,\u201d Barlow said.<\/p>\n
The club is situated around Lewisville ISD schools that Barlow said have the most need.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe data really did help inform our enthusiasm around accepting the location and deciding to build it out as our first Boys & Girls Club branch,\u201d Barlow added.<\/p>\n
Built on successful fundraising and $3 million from the county, the Lewisville chapter will be able to start serving students this school year. Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County estimated more than 6,000 kids per year will benefit from the redesigned firehouse.<\/p>\n
But the benefits of having this location are not limited to local students.<\/p>\n
Barlow said the nonprofit plans to use the branch as a distribution point to send the mobile clubhouse to more Denton County communities.<\/p>\n
And Mitchell hopes the location\u2019s potential success spurs more chapters countywide.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m dreaming big,\u201d Mitchell said.<\/p>\n
Ismael M. Belkoura is the nonprofit editor for the Fort Worth Report. His position is supported by a grant from North Texas Community Foundation. Contact him at ismael.belkoura@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n