Mazzoni Center Moving to New Location at Broad and Bainbridge Streets

Photo via Mazzoni Center

After years of looking for a place where they could consolidate two of their Center City offices, the Mazzoni Center has signed a lease to move their medical, mental health, legal and social service operations to a larger space at 1328-1338 Bainbridge Street.

Mazzoni CEO Nurit Shein sent out an email over the weekend addressing the ways the Center will benefit from the new digs, which will provide an extra 14,000 square feet of clinical and operational space.

The new location will allow us to double our medical space, from 13 to 26 patient exam rooms.  We will hire additional clinicians, reduce the wait time for appointments, and incorporate additional wellness services.  We will hire additional therapists for our Open Door Behavioral Health program, nearly double the size of our counseling space, and launch an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) for LGBT individuals with substance abuse issues.  Currently there is no LGBT-specific program of this kind in Philadelphia.

The buildling will provide us with comfortable, updated spaces for our LGBT legal services, case management, food bank, and housing programs for people with HIV, as well as HIV prevention, education, and other key departments. The new building will also include a ‘Town Square’ gathering space where we can host community events and educational workshops.

Mazzoni Center acquired the space via hybrid investment, or long-term lease, with local real estate investment firm Alterra Group, LLC. “Buying a building would involve taking out a major loan, which would have placed a considerable strain on our budget for years to come, and we simply weren’t comfortable with that. When the opportunity to pursue this kind of hybrid investment—a long-term lease with a significant investment from Mazzoni to ensure the new space is designed and built to meet our needs—we knew it was the right way to go.  This long-term partnership will provide the greatest flexibility and return on investment.  It allows us to channel more funding into programs and services.”

For now, the move is planned for the summer of 2017 and, it’s important to add, the Center’s HIV-testing hub Washington West Project, at 1201 Locust Street, will stay right where it is in the heart of the Gayborhood.