ST. PETERSBURG — The Parc Center for Disabilities cut the ribbon earlier this week on a new 14,000-square-foot children’s services center, the largest construction project in the nonprofit’s 73-year history.

The Tom and Mary James Children’s Services Center was formally dedicated March 25 at 3151 73rd St. N. It is the new home of the Discovery Learning Center preschool and houses Parc’s early intervention and caregiver relief programs, including physical, speech and occupational therapies.

The facility features larger classrooms, therapy rooms, adaptive playgrounds, sensory equipment and enhanced safety and accessibility features. It also provides space for weekend and summer programming, which Parc President and CEO Michelle Detweiler said will help reduce waitlists.

“This project is huge for us,” Detweiler said. “There are so many families that need us. It’s about the future, helping humanity and families that need help.”

Longtime supporters Tom and Mary James donated $2 million toward the project, which helped launch Parc’s $10 million “Raise the Roof” capital campaign. The organization has raised about $8.2 million to date.

“They’re huge philanthropists in our community, and they have always supported us,” Detweiler said. “They’ve seen people grow and achieve things that you would have never thought they could achieve.”

Parc traces its roots to 1953, when a small group of parents founded the “Peter Pan” school to serve children with developmental disabilities.

“Back then, there was nothing for parents who had children with special needs,” Detweiler said. “It started with 10 families. Now we serve over 500 people a day.”

The organization today serves more than 500 children and adults and employs about 330 people across a 10-acre campus with seven buildings that include residential homes, classrooms, adult programs, art studios and offices.

Detweiler said the new center was needed because the campus buildings date to the 1960s and had become too costly to maintain. The old administration building was demolished in December 2023 to make way for the new facility on the existing 2.5-acre site. Staff offices were relocated to other buildings on campus during construction.

“We’ve needed to make a change for a very long time,” she said. “The building had very weird dynamics for plumbing, electric, and it wouldn’t have saved us money.”

The early intervention program serves children from 2 months to 5 years old, with speech, occupational and physical therapy integrated into the daily curriculum. The program is inclusive, accepting both typically developing children and those with developmental delays, though priority goes to children who need specialized services.

Parc also has board-certified behavior analysts in the classrooms who work with children to help regulate behaviors and support teachers. Each child’s progress is tracked through regular assessments.

“We have kids who come in that are very behind, and they completely overcome all of the delays, which that’s our goal,” Detweiler said.

Beyond the classroom, Parc provides one-on-one early intervention services in the community and a caregiver relief program that offers respite care for families with children and adults up to 21 years old.

“Caregiver burnout is very real,” Detweiler said. “We go in and provide relief for that family and give them a break, whether it’s a nap, a walk, or a date with their spouse.”

The center also offers a nutrition program that provides breakfast, lunch and a snack, as well as transportation — one of the most significant challenges families face, Detweiler said.

She said some families discover Parc only after exhausting other options.

“They had gone through all these trials and tribulations with their child, and they all of a sudden found us somehow,” she said. “Some of those stories are just heartbreaking to me, because when you have a child that needs help, you got to get them help.”

Once the move from the old Discovery Learning Center is complete, Detweiler said the organization will likely demolish the old structure to create additional parking and green space.

For more information, visit parc-fl.org.