Easterseals to begin construction on $10.8 million expansion project

Easterseals West Georgia is set to begin construction on a $10.8 million project that will increase the capacity of its Columbus campus on Double Churches Road.

A 23,500-square-foot building and a pavilion will soon go along with Easterseals current 27,000-square-foot building.

The announcement was made at a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday.

Building Independence Campaign Chairman Dr. David Varner said the campaign, which began about two years ago, has already reached close to $7 million in pledges.

“That is 65 percent,” he said. “That is a turning point. It allows us to begin construction.

“How often do you get to transform lives? It happens every day at Easterseals,” Varner said of the nonprofit organization, a partner with United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley.

Mac McCullough is chairman of the Easterseals Board of Directors.

“We are at a cross roads,” he said. “There are needs in the community that are not being met. Families need our help now. Are we willing to step up and meet those needs? The answer is yes. We are renewing a commitment to change lives.”

President/CEO Sharon Borger called it a “monumental day.”

“When this is completed, we will be able to help 500 people a day instead of 250,” said Borger, who has been with Easterseals since 1991.

Borger said services for children will remain in the 27,000-square-foot building that is now home to services for adults and children. It will be renovated and expanded.

Adult services will be held in the new 23,500-square-foot, two-story building.

There will also be an area for outdoors exercise.

Easterseals enriches lives of individuals with disabilities through work experience, community integration, teaching adaptive daily living skills caring for the mind body and spirit

Since moving into the Double Churches facility, Easterseals has experienced a 334 percent increase in enrollment with the most significant growth of 200 percent in the adult program over the last decade. Consequently, the current facility is busting-at-the-seams with no capacity to serve individuals waiting to access our programs.

Some current programs are child and adult therapeutic day services and family support services.

Borger said there will be new programs introduced in autism (for children 18 months to five years), work readiness/supported employment, access fitness and behavioral support programs.

The work should be completed sometime in 2019.

This story was originally published January 25, 2018 at 4:31 PM with the headline "Easterseals to begin construction on $10.8 million expansion project."