Parc Center for Disabilities breaks ground on new children's services center in St. Pete
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Tuesday morning, local leaders and philanthropists joined staff and volunteers at the Parc Center for Disabilities and broke ground on a new children’s services center in St. Petersburg.
The 14,000 square foot building will have larger classrooms and therapy spaces compared to the current space. It will also have a new preschool and three specially designed playgrounds with adaptive equipment.
The Children’s Services Center will feature new technology to help maximize early intervention education and therapeutic services as well. Parc’s CEO said the new center won’t just transform Parc, but the entire area.
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"The new Children's Services Center moves us into our next 70 years of advocating for children, with the creation of a new facility that will match the caliber and quality of parks, programs and personnel," Michelle Detweiler, Parc’s CEO and president, said. "The current Children's Services building, due to its physical limitation, is holding us back and the children are in our community back and excluding some children who would benefit from our expertise."
The new center will also have support services for families. Detweiler said they’ve raised about $6 million towards the construction so far with the goal of $10 million.
The state is contributing $1.5 million. They’re expecting construction to take a year and a half, and hoping the new center opens in early 2026.
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