POMPANO BEACH, Fla. — The future of one of Northwest Pompano Beach’s most historically significant community spaces will again be the subject of public discussion Monday night, as residents are invited to help shape plans for a new E. Pat Larkins Community Center.
The City of Pompano Beach will host a community engagement session tonight, Sept. 21, at 6 p.m. at the existing E. Pat Larkins Community Center, 520 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Tonight’s session, titled “Share Your Stories: E. Pat and Our Community Pioneers,” will focus on the history of the center, the legacy of Elijah “Pat” Larkins and other Northwest Pompano pioneers, and how those stories should be incorporated into the future facility.
The meeting comes as the city moves forward with planning for a new community center as part of the larger redevelopment of Downtown Pompano Beach.
A Center With Deep Roots
The existing community center is named for Elijah Pat Larkins, Pompano Beach’s first Black mayor. Larkins served 19 consecutive years as a city commissioner and seven terms as mayor, according to the city.
The center has long served as a gathering place for Northwest Pompano residents, hosting community meetings, celebrations, programs and civic activities.
Its future has also generated considerable public discussion as plans for the New Downtown have moved forward.
Residents have previously urged city leaders to protect both Larkins’ legacy and the history represented by the existing center as redevelopment changes the surrounding Northwest community.
City commission records show residents have specifically raised concerns about demolishing or relocating the existing building. During previous discussions, city officials said decisions over whether to renovate or replace the facility would require additional action by the commission.
Architects Asking Community to Help Shape the Project
The architectural team working on the new center includes STUDIO-US, led by Pompano Beach architect Stacey Boynton, and METICULOUS Design Architecture, led by Damon Hewlin.
Both are Black-owned firms, and STUDIO-US is also woman-owned and based in Pompano Beach.
The city says the team will use workshops, visioning sessions and open forums to involve residents in the design process.
Tonight’s discussion is expected to concentrate less on floor plans and more on something that could ultimately influence the identity of the building: whose history gets remembered and how it is represented.
Residents are being asked to bring stories and memories about Larkins and other community pioneers who helped build Northwest Pompano Beach.
The issue carries additional significance because plans connected to the broader Downtown project call for a Legacy Wall honoring Northwest Pompano pioneers as well as a Sports Hall of Fame feature recognizing athletes raised in Pompano Beach.
Another Meeting Will Focus on What Goes Inside
Tonight is the first of two upcoming engagement sessions specifically focused on the new center.
A second meeting, “Shape the Space: Rooms, Features, and Amenities,” is scheduled for Oct. 14 at 6 p.m.
That meeting will give residents an opportunity to weigh in on what the new facility should actually contain — including the rooms, programs, features and amenities the community wants incorporated into the design.
The distinction makes tonight’s meeting particularly focused on legacy and identity, while the October session will move the conversation toward the physical and functional needs of the future center.
The city is also offering food from local Pompano Beach businesses during the engagement sessions.
What Villij News Is Watching
For Northwest Pompano residents, the conversation surrounding E. Pat Larkins is about more than a building.
As billions of dollars in public and private development are proposed for the New Downtown area, residents have repeatedly raised questions about how the historically Black community surrounding the project will benefit from redevelopment and how its history will be preserved.
Tonight’s meeting offers residents an opportunity to put some of that history directly into the record before the new center is designed.
MEETING INFORMATION
What: Share Your Stories: E. Pat and Our Community Pioneers
When: Monday, Sept. 21, 2026, 6 p.m.
Where: E. Pat Larkins Community Center, 520 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Pompano Beach
Cost: Free
Next session: Oct. 14 at 6 p.m. — Shape the Space: Rooms, Features, and Amenities
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