The Shaquille O’Neal Youth Complex is a $24 million development planned for Las Vegas, bringing together youth programmes, educational support and sports facilities. According to FOX5 Las Vegas, the 87,000-square-foot complex is being developed by The Shaquille O’Neal Foundation in partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada and Communities In Schools of Southern Nevada. The project is expected to be completed in late 2026, with the complex scheduled to open in early 2027, according to FOX5 Las Vegas. The development is intended to bring sports, education and support services together at one site in northeast Las Vegas, an area that a local nonprofit leader has described as a “service desert”.
Shaquille O’Neal Youth Complex: sports facilities and youth services planned for Las Vegas
The complex is designed around several spaces serving different needs. According to The Shaquille O’Neal Foundation, the project includes a 30,000-square-foot Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada clubhouse and what the foundation describes as the country’s first Communities In Schools Alumni Center. The alumni centre is intended to support former Communities In Schools students, with backing from the Elaine P. Wynn & Family Foundation. The planned facilities also include a multi-sports field sponsored by the Las Vegas Raiders and a UFC-themed mixed martial arts and boxing centre. FOX5 Las Vegas has also reported plans for a Lakers-themed gymnasium and basketball court, supported by the Los Angeles Lakers.Inside the clubhouse, planned amenities include an early childhood learning centre, a gymnasium, mental wellness rooms and technology and innovation labs. The foundation describes the planned resources as serving young people from pre-kindergarten through grade 12, with academic, social, emotional, recreational and technology support. The foundation’s Las Vegas facility page says the Boys & Girls Club facility is expected to serve between 150 and 180 young people after school each day. The project was designed by Carpenter Sellers Del Gatto, with CORE Construction serving as the builder. These facilities form part of the wider 87,000-square-foot development, combining youth programming, education and sports on a single site.
Shaquille O’Neal Youth Complex timeline: county land donation and June 2025 groundbreaking
The project progressed from a county land donation to a groundbreaking ceremony in June 2025. Clark County commissioners approved the donation of a 5-acre site to The Shaquille O’Neal Foundation in July 2024, according to the foundation and local reporting. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on June 27, 2025, bringing together representatives of the foundation, local youth organisations and sports partners. According to KLAS 8 News Now, the site is near the intersection of Lamb and Lake Mead boulevards in northeast Las Vegas. Andy Bischel of Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada described the area as a “service desert”, highlighting the need for additional youth resources.O’Neal, who has lived in Las Vegas for decades, said the world would be a better place if every prominent person took care of the community where they lived. Speakers at the groundbreaking included Dr. Lisa Morris Hibbler of the foundation, Las Vegas Raiders president Sandra Douglass Morgan and Tami Hance-Lehr of Communities In Schools of Nevada. In an April 2026 report, FOX5 Las Vegas said construction had reached its halfway point. The report also covered O’Neal’s visit to the site with UFC president Dana White and Raiders owner Mark Davis. This describes the project’s reported status at that time, rather than confirming its current construction progress. The Youth Sports Business Report also reported that O’Neal’s eldest daughter, Taahirah, joined the foundation’s board in connection with the project. The development brings together county land, the foundation’s development efforts and support from sports organisations and youth-service partners.
Why the Shaquille O’Neal Youth Complex matters: youth services and what happens next
The complex is intended to expand access to after-school activities, educational resources and youth support services in northeast Las Vegas. The foundation says the Boys & Girls Club will provide academic, social, emotional and technology support, while the Communities In Schools Alumni Center is intended to help former students with their personal, academic and professional development. KLAS reported that Tami Hance-Lehr described the alumni centre as a development that would be a game-changer and said its team would help young graduates with job placement. The project also reflects O’Neal’s own connection to youth programmes. The Shaquille O’Neal Foundation identifies him as a member of the Boys & Girls Club Alumni Hall of Fame. The Youth Sports Business Report has also noted that he developed his basketball skills at Boys & Girls Club facilities.The project has expanded considerably from its earlier plans. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported in July 2024 that the proposed facility was expected to cost $16 million and cover 17,000 square feet. The current development is planned to span 87,000 square feet and includes additional sports facilities associated with the Las Vegas Raiders, UFC and the Los Angeles Lakers. The current $24 million project therefore reflects a substantially larger development than the one described in the earlier report. The foundation has also invited prospective donors to enquire about naming opportunities for rooms and other spaces in the complex. Interested parties can contact the foundation for further details. The project is expected to be completed in late 2026, with opening planned for early 2027. Families seeking information about programme schedules, registration and access should look for announcements from the foundation and its local partners as the opening approaches. The development brings together public land, philanthropic support and partnerships with sports organisations and youth-service providers.
