The ribbon-cutting for the new 60,000-square-foot, Center for Children’s Integrated Services, held Nov. 18. Photos by Gary Gould

FLINT — Construction on the new state-of-the-art Center for Children’s Integrated Services is finished and the new facility, located at S. Saginaw Street and I-69, officially opened its doors with a ribbon cutting ceremony, Nov. 18.

Genesee Health System (GHS) and the Greater Flint Mental Health Facilities held the ribbon cutting ceremony for the facility that brings comprehensive care for Flint and Genesee County children to a single location.

The 60,000 square-foot building, located at 1402 S. Saginaw St., will have all GHS children’s program areas in one building, including the Children’s Integrated Services Assessment Clinic, Children’s Autism Center, and Child and Family Services.

Danis Russell, CEO of Genesee Health System, thanked all of the GHS’s partners in the project, who together made the $23 million facility happen.

“These kind of things don’t happen very often,” he said. “This project – the community collaboration, funding streams, the people who were involved in this – this just does not happen for a place that provides mental health services mostly to the uninsured population of the city.”

Tim Herman, president of the Uptown Reinvestment Group and CEO of the Flint & Genesee Group.

The facility, located at S. Saginaw and Ninth Street, at the bridge of I-69, consolidates three separate buildings used by GHS to house its core services for children and families under one roof.

These include the Neurodevelopmental Center for Excellence (NCE), Autism Services, Child & Family Services and a federally qualified health care center

Additionally, the new building offers family-friendly waiting areas because the assessment process averages four hours, requiring families to find space for an extended period of time. This is particularly challenging for families with multiple children.

The new design includes: a café, outdoor plaza, a secure playground and other comfortable waiting areas.

Among those partnering in the project was the City of Flint, Uptown Reinvestment Corporation and the Mott Foundation. HED was the architectural firm who designed the building and contractor DW Lurvey built it.

The exterior of the Center for Children’s Integrated Services, 1402 S. Saginaw St.

“This Children’s Center is because of a partnership with the Uptown Reinvestment Corporation in addition to early and continued support from the Mott Foundation,” said Bill Winiarski, Board Chair of Greater Flint Children’s Mental Health Facilities, Inc. “Now, anyone receiving children’s services from GHS will be welcomed to this beautiful, state-of-the art facility for one stop quality mental and physical health care.”

Tim Herman, president of the Uptown Reinvestment Group and CEO of the Flint & Genesee Group, said it was a great day for the URC and for children in the community, further calling the facility an “accomplishment.”

“As a non-profit, economic developer part of our goal at the URC is to help other non-profits by providing capacity especially on complex projects like this,” said Herman. “We’re thrilled to be partnered with GHS on this project. It has such a long-term impact and a positive impact.”

Ridgway White, president and CEO of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.

Ridgway White, president and CEO of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation said there were a lot of teams from the community involved in the funding and construction of the Center for Children’s Integrated Services.

“We work harder than anybody else, with less, sometimes, but we accomplish great things,” said White. “The Center for Children’s Integrated Services is designed to better serve kids and families.”

An open house for the community to tour the new facility will be Wednesday, Nov. 30.

Danis Russell, CEO of Genesee Health System. Photos by Gary Gould

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