Northside Center for Child Development broke ground on construction of its new headquarters at Lexington Gardens II in East Harlem on Friday, November 3, 2017. The new headquarters will build on Northside’s history of providing early childhood education, behavioral health, and enrichment services to low-income New York City children and their families, as it has from its current home in Harlem for over 70 years.
“Northside Center continues to be grounded in the firm belief that every child deserves the opportunity to thrive and help create a stronger society,” said Dr. Thelma Dye, Northside’s Hilde L. Mosse Executive Director & CEO. “This groundbreaking marks a significant step forward in building upon our founding mission, while providing Northside with a new, permanent home. I could not be more proud to break ground on our new home, and I am extremely thankful for Alan and Susan Patricof, our board, our hardworking staff, and most of all, for the children and families that we can continue to serve.”
The groundbreaking was also attended by Deputy Manhattan Borough President Mathew Washington; Manhattan Community Board 11 Chair Diane Collier; Dr. Abigail Velikov, Senior Director of Early Childhood Health and Development Unit in the Division of Family and Child Health at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH); Dolores Giurdanella, Director of Early Intervention from DOHMH; and Alan and Susan Patricof, long time supporters of Northside. Susan is Board Chair Emeritus.
The new two-story headquarters, scheduled for completion by 2020, is 27,000 square feet and will host Northside’s administrative offices, main mental health clinic, and special education school. The move will enable Northside to expand and more effectively serve its growing population of over 4,000 children and families across the city.
Research by Northside’s founders Drs. Mamie and Kenneth Clark was cited in Brown v. Board of Education, which helped pave the way for the legal desegregation of public schools in the U.S. Today, Northside remains a vital player in mental health and early education, highlighted by strategic partnerships to expand mental health clinics in schools with CVS and other supporters, as well as New York City First Lady Chirlane McCray’s ThriveNYC program.
Photo credit: Dr. Thelma Dye in Northside Center groundbreaking in Harlem, NY.
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