Plans approved for Parc Center's new $10 million children's services facility

PINELLAS,Fla. - Parc Center for Disabilities is expanding and hopes to become a state-of-the-art center in the state.

Pinellas County’s Development Review Commission recently approved plans for a new $10 million Children’s Services Center that has been about a decade in the making.

Michelle Detweiler, President and CEO of Parc, said the Center was built in the 1960s.

"It's not efficient space," she said. "The building is truly falling apart and it's costing us hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to maintain," Detweiler said.

Detweiler said staff will move from the administration building to other parts of Parc's campus by Thanksgiving. Crews will then tear down that building by the end of the year.

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"We looked at a lot of properties. We looked at a lot of locations, and it just made sense for us to do it on our administration property right on Tyrone Boulevard, two and a half acres where we will build our new children's building," she said.

The new building will have about 1,000 more square feet that they'll be able to utilize better than the current center, Detweiler said.

"The space that we have will provide us the ability to create state-of-the-art spaces for children with disabilities when it comes to physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and the components of the building are going to help with our kids that have sensory issues and the spacing, it’s just completely state of the art that will be able to accommodate children with disabilities," she said.

Construction will take about a year, and the new space will open in 2025.

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"We have been in business for 70 years in this community, serving children and adults with disabilities. We have children that started in our preschool and are now in our adult programs and people that have lived here for well over 40 years. So, it’s almost like starting the next 70 years," Detweiler said about the project.

They've started a community capital campaign to fundraise the project's $10 million price tag. It's seven to eight million dollars for the building and the rest of the money to run the center.

 She said they also hope to hire more special education teachers and help more families.

"I'm most excited to be able to offer this to our community. A lot of people do know us, but we have so many people that are coming into this community. A lot of families and they're not aware of us. So, I think that this campaign and the marketing of this building will help the community know that we're here," she said.

Detweiler said they don't have concrete plans for the current learning center but plan to tear it down and create more parking and green space.

Plans for the new center also include two playgrounds and a sensory therapy garden.