Ground Breaks for The Bell Center New Facility, $8.6M Campaign Goal Unveiled

The Bell Center for Early Intervention Programs unveiled its $8.6-million campaign goal for a two-story, 18,000-square-foot facility at the site’s recent ceremonial groundbreaking. The event marked the start of Brasfield & Gorrie’s construction on the Homewood, Alabama facility, which will serve infants and toddlers who are at risk for developmental delay.

Since 1984, The Bell Center has provided crucial center-based early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and developmental delays using a transdisciplinary approach unique to Alabama. More than 1,500 children have been served by thousands of therapy hours through eight Bell Center programs including physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology and early childhood special education services in a center-based setting. Children who attend have diagnoses ranging from cerebral palsy and Down syndrome to autism spectrum disorder and rare genetic disorders. Children are not required to have a diagnosis, and many children who were born prematurely or as a set of multiples are considered at risk for developmental delay and also benefit from the services provided at The Bell Center.

The new facility will feature three infant therapy rooms, including one designed for medically fragile infants, and three toddler classrooms. Other features of the building include a small group instruction room, a sensory room, a developmentally appropriate playground and enlarged parent viewing rooms. Also included in the building will be a dedicated office for The Service Guild of Birmingham, the women’s volunteer organization which, along with Betty Bell, founded the program in 1984.

LIVE Design Group is the architect and Perry Design is the interior designer of the new facility. Brasfield & Gorrie will serve as general contractor for the construction of the building and adjoining parking lot. The 10-month projected construction timeline will allow The Bell Center to occupy the new facility in summer 2019. The Bell Center is temporarily operating from Trinity West Homewood United Methodist Church.