FERRIDAY, La. — The Boys and Girls Club of the Delta will have a new home in a Ferriday community center, although town and club officials have not yet signed an agreement.

In its Thursday morning meeting, the club’s board agreed to let President Clarence Hymon sign an agreement with the town for space in the planned center, which will be housed in the old Florida Street Gym building. The club’s programs now take place in the Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office substation on Doty Road just outside Ferriday.

No details of the agreement have yet been worked out, and Hymon said later Thursday he does not know when they will be.

&uot;I do know that we would like to get in there as soon as possible,&uot; Hymon said.

Mayor Glen McGlothin said Tuesday it may take one or two years to make needed renovations at the center.

Housing the Boys and Girls Club, which is now in its second year, at the Ferriday Community Development Center would be a good fit for both the town and the club, said Hymon and town Administrative Assistant Alex Promise.

&uot;It’s in the center of town,&uot; Hymon said. &uot;And they have all the classrooms we need.

&uot;Right now, we have 25 computers that were donated to us, but we have no place to put them. With the commitment the Town of Ferriday has shown to address the needs of youth, … it’s just an ideal situation.&uot;

&uot;They’re already an established (nonprofit) corporation,&uot; Promise said. &uot;It’s preferable to work with an organization that’s already in place.&uot;

So, at least for now, the town will put on hold its plans to establish a YMCA branch at the center, Promise added.

The town had recently requested information from that organization on establishing a branch in Ferriday, but talks between YMCA and town officials were preliminary.

Promise said he has also talked with local organizations such as St. Anthony’s Outreach and the Ferriday Housing Authority and national groups like Power Up and Students Against Drunk Driving.

The center could be used for some of the organizations’ programs, and he isn’t ruling out the possibility that groups other than the Boys and Girls Club could also be housed at the center.

&uot;But I want to make clear that we aren’t renting or leasing space to the Boys and Girls Club or anyone else, nor can we do so&uot; under the terms of the lease with the school district, he said.

The Concordia Parish School Board voted Tuesday to lease the gym building to the town for 25 years.

The town will have to pay to make interior renovations, install new heating and cooling systems and install lighting outside the facility.

As of Thursday, the town still did not have an estimate of how much that work is expected to cost, Promise said.

He said the town is still working on grants from the Alexandria-based Rapides Foundation and other groups to establish and operate the center.

Prisoner crews are expected to arrive at the 61-year-old building Monday to start cleaning the interior of the building and cutting the grass outside, Promise said.