Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal recently toured the under-construction youth complex his foundation is spearheading, with notable contributions from the Raiders, UFC and the Los Angeles Lakers.

The $24 million, 87,000-square-foot complex being developed by The Shaquille O’Neal Foundation in partnership with Boys &Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada and Communities in Schools of Southern Nevada is half complete and on track for completion this year and a 2027 opening.

O’Neal toured the site, located near the intersection of Lake Mead and Lamb boulevards, this month with Raiders owner Mark Davis, UFC President and CEO Dana White and leadership from Communities in Schools and the Boys &Girls Clubs to view the progress of the project.

“I’m grateful to our dynamic board, the donors, and the partners who have stepped up to make this vision a reality for the young people of Las Vegas,” O’Neal said in a statement. “This project shows what can happen when a community comes together with purpose. Under the leadership of the Foundation Executive Director, Dr. Lisa Morris Hibbler, construction is on schedule, and we’re excited to see this complex change lives for years to come.”

Collaborative effort

The Raiders Foundation donated money to add a multi-sport field, which will sport Raiders branding, while the Lakers donated to have an indoor basketball court in the NBA team’s purple and gold color scheme.

“Mark Davis has fully jumped into this community and the woman who currently runs the Raiders Foundation was the person who was running Shaquille’s Foundation when we started it, Kari Uyehara, she’s just a fantastic person,” said Perry Rogers, O’Neal’s business adviser and treasurer of the Shaquille O’Neal Foundation.

“Jeanie Buss and the Lakers wrote a real check as well. It’s humbling. Shaquille and I, that’s what we were talking about this weekend, it’s so cool that you have these friends, but it’s so humbling when you see these friends write a check and say we see the vision, we want to help kids the way you want to help kids, and we want to do it through your club.”

The UFC also contributed funds to build a mixed martial arts and boxing center. White wanted to take the initiative even further than just paying for the space, Rogers said.

“Shaquille’s always been supportive of the UFC; they’ve always been supportive of him,” Rogers said. “So, we called (UFC) and said, would you do the auxiliary gym? And that’s important because not only did they give the money for the auxiliary gym, but they’re going to be outfitting that with fighters to help kids with self-defense. So they’ll be training kids on how to defend themselves if they ever find themselves in a tough spot.”

The Metropolitan Police Department will also have a substation there, with an officer on hand at most times to build a relationship between the youth and local police. The partnership was formed during a meeting between O’Neal and Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill, Rogers said. Metro will also have access to the facility to host intramural games and other events.

The facility’s naming campaign has met 74 percent of its $5.4 million goal, with some rooms in the building still available for donation-related naming rights.

‘We need to be over there’

The facility is being constructed in the east Las Vegas Valley and is in an area where there is an abundance of youth. There are six schools within a block and a half of the facility, and O’Neal knows the importance of such facilities, having grown up in a Boys &Girls Club when he was younger, when his parents were both working, Rogers said.

“This is clearly, just given the density, a neighborhood that’s going to have a lot of kids that are looking for something to do, something that’s productive,” Rogers said. “We’re really pleased that the Boys &Girls Club and Communities in Schools were so clear on the location. Shaquille and I would love to take credit for that; we can’t. It was listening to the organizations say to us, the east part of Las Vegas is under-serviced. There are a lot of kids over there. We need to be over there.”

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.