Boys Town Central Florida is excited to celebrate the official opening of The Overlook Center, a new multipurpose space on campus designed to strengthen programs and the administrative office that serves children and families in need. The name pays tribute to Boys Town’s roots, Father Edward J. Flanagan’s original home for at-risk and homeless youth, Overlook Farm, which opened in 1917 outside Omaha, Nebraska. More than a century later, that same mission of care, hope, and partnership continues to thrive here in Central Florida. The current Executive Director wanted to take a name that was significant to Boys Town’s history, while connecting back to the home campus.
This project originated after a devastating fire severely damaged the building’s interior and destroyed a portion of its structure. Despite numerous construction and permitting challenges, the team successfully completed the transformation in just under a year. Working closely with Executive Directors and the Facilities’ team, we carefully considered how this space could best serve campus needs. It was clear the site required a flexible design capable of supporting a wide range of functions.
The goal was now to design a ‘multipurpose’ space that the community and youth could gravitate to, or a “HUB” for the campus. The functions of the building for the youth would be a study place, tutoring spot, recreation spot or just a place to do group projects. For the community, it serves as a central venue for entertainment, meetings, donor events, training programs, family support sessions, and collaborative initiatives all designed to bring people together in one dynamic location on campus. The design needed to be fresh, exciting and encouraging to connect with people, especially our youth. The furnishings needed to be durable, fun, and comfortable to provide for a variety of different functions. The goal is to use this template in other facilities at different sites across the country.
The grand opening event welcomed a full house of community partners, with over 35 guests, including representatives from local government, schools, law enforcement, youth and family service organizations. Guests enjoyed a ribbon cutting ceremony, grazing reception, and guided tours of the new space.
“Our partnerships are at the heart of everything we do,” said Executive Director, Desmond Crayton, “The Overlook Center represents not only a physical space but a shared commitment to creating stability and opportunity for children and families across our region.”
Boys Town Central Florida extends sincere appreciation to the Facilities Management team for all their hard work in designing and collaborating with the success of this project, the many partners and supporters who joined us to celebrate this milestone. Your continued collaboration ensures that Father Flanagan’s vision — that every child deserves love, guidance, and a chance to succeed remains alive in our community.
Community Partners in Attendance
- Florida Department of Children & Families
- Florida Network of Youth and Family Services
- Family Partnerships of Central Florida
- Seminole County Sheriff’s Department
- Oviedo High School
- Seminole County Public Schools- School Social Work Division
- Rescue Outreach Mission
- Oviedo Police Department
- Orange County Public Schools- School Social Work Division
- Heartland for Children
- Friends of Children and Families
- Leadership Seminole
