Facilities will provide expanded support services and independent living for individuals with developmental disabilities
Kimmerle Group, a New Jersey-based, multifaceted design, real estate, planning, development, and branding practice has completed two separate spaces for The Arc Rockland,an organization which provides support and services to more than 600 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The ArcRockland is one of more than 600 local and state chapters of The Arc nationwide.
Kimmerle led a full-building renovation for The Arc Rockland’s HQ and Day Center in Valley Cottage, NY,and provided design services for the transformation of a single-family home into a six-bedroom South Mountain residential group home in New City, NY. The design firm also started renovation work on asecond, 6,000-SF two-story Day Center in Nyack, NY. Housed in an historic industrial building, it will include additional day center spaces.
“We are proud of our work with The Arc Rockland to deliver its new headquarters and other essential properties that help the organization carry out its daily mission,” said William Kimmerle, AIA, NCARB, a principal at Kimmerle Group. “The Arc Rockland is an important, respected organization in Rockland County. The addition of the Day Center and residential facility to its portfolio allows Arc to continue to help developmentally disabled individuals acquire the skills needed to live independent lives.”
Kimmerle Group worked withThe Arc Rockland’s team from due diligence through project completion on the new HQ and Day Center at 210 Route 303 in Valley Cottage, NY.The Arc Rockland acquired the 19,900-SF, two-story building with the goal of creating a new day habitation facility for developmentally disabled adults in a space that could also double as its new headquarters. The organization formerly occupied an 82,000-SF centralized office warehouse at 25 Hemlock Drive in Congers, NY.
The property features a ground-floor levelthat was gut renovated and built out as a participant day space with a variety of program rooms that support clients’ habitation and learning activities. This area also opens to several large, landscaped patio spaces for outdoor activities during the warmer months.The upper level of the property contains The Arc Rockland’s full administrative team. A double-height atrium in the lobby features a new glass separation for acoustical purposes and safety. Kimmerle also added several new entrances to the building.
Prior, 210 Route 303was home to a law office, after its use as a jewelry exchange. Kimmerle incorporated the building’s existing finishes to deliver a bright but neutral, contemporary space. The second-floor administrative offices repurposed the law office’s existing furniture and custom millwork in natural wood tones. The ground floor’s programming areas continue the natural wood tones, balanced with cooler contemporary colors.
“In a nod to the property’s former life as a jewelry exchange, Kimmerle repurposed a ground-floor bank vault, opening it up to create a programming room,” added Richard Jecmen, a project director at Kimmerle Group who worked with The Arc Rockland on its new facilities. “Although its purpose has changed, you have a sense of what the space was used for prior, and it gives The Arc Rockland a cool, unique programming area.”
Kimmerle Group also provided design services for The Arc Rockland’s South Mountain residential group home in New City, NY. The existing 3,200-SF single-family home was renovated and upgraded; the ranch property features a full basement with egress to the outside. The new residential facility will provide a safe and supported indecent living environment for The Arc Rockland clients with developmental disabilities.The organization owns and operates nearly 30 residential homes for this purpose in all corners of Rockland County.
With a contemporary residential design aesthetic, Arc’s South Mountain home features six bedrooms with fully accessible restrooms, a kitchen and dining area, recreation spaces, and extensive outdoor activity areas.In addition to improving egress for the building, Kimmerle created a front and back entrance ramp/deck structures, and enhancements of the life safety systems to comply with the increased occupancy of the building.
“The home was originally outfitted for accessibility – the previous owner upgraded the home to include a residential elevator, as well as several other ADA enhancements in the basement. We extended these features to the upper floor,” said William J. Kimmerle, a partner at Kimmerle Group. “As The Arc Rockland’s programs expand, it is continuously looking for suitable and safe homes for its residents. The South Mountain home, given its existing accessibility features, serene landscaping, and location in a safe residential area, made lots of sense.”
About Kimmerle Group
Kimmerle Group is a multifaceted architecture, design and consulting practice with more than three decades in the real estate and construction industries, specializing in office, multifamily, retail, medical, industrial, and investment properties throughout the United States, with a focus on the New York metropolitan area.
Architecture and design expertise support the consulting approach at the core of Kimmerle’s practice since its foundation in 1990. Since inception, the firm has operated in a set of affiliated specialties, including urban planning & design, healthcare real estate consulting and design, workspace procurement, project management, real estate services, and branding. Kimmerle’s sustained growth is a result of both a big-picture focus on every assignment, and the intimate and transparent business relationships the firm has built throughout the years.
Kimmerle is recognized for its commitment to evidence-based design and the application of green, sustainable architecture principles. Kimmerle’s leadership is also continuously engaged in academic research, extending the depth of the firm’s practice, especially on issues relating to community health, sustainability, justice, and human empowerment.
Please visit www.kimmerle.com for more information.
