Juneau residents are able to have access to a variety of social services within one location.
The Teal Street Center, located in the Mendenhall Valley near the airport is in the construction for a number of decades. The construction began in 2021 and tenants began moving in this spring.
In a talk hosted by the Juneau Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, United Human Services Executive Director Joan O’Keefe said the goal is to provide services to those who require these services.
The span style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”Nonprofits which are located present in the building are scattered throughout the city,” she said. “It was a hurdle to those who required many services. .”
United Human Services owns the building. It leases offices for Southeast Alaska Independent Living, Alaska Legal Services, AWARE Disability Law Center for Alaska Juneau Suicide Prevention Coalition and the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
O’Keefe believes having all the services in the same building can help the providers connect clients with one another more effectively. When Southeast Alaska Independent Living staff are looking to recommend anyone for referral to Alaska Legal Services, O’Keefe said it’s as simple as walking to on the 2nd floor.
It also helps tenants financially. Rent is lower than market rates for tenants who are nonprofit. Tenants share common spaces such as reception areas bathroom facilities, conference rooms, and reception areas. They also share expenses for things like janitorial services, and snow removal.
“They have to worry about the provision of services and meeting their goals, but not worry about having a more overheads,” O’Keefe said.
Teal Street Center Teal Street Center sits between the Glory Hall, an emergency shelter and soup kitchen as well as Smith Hall, a subsidized apartment for senior citizens. St. Vincent de Paul has housing units located on the opposite aspect from Smith Hall. The van for SEARHC’s mobile clinic visits several times per week to offer medical and health-related services for the behavioral.
Dave Ringle, executive director of Juneau’s St. Vincent de Paul chapter, told the newspaper that the center benefits other organizations in the facility, too. He added that the St. Vincent de Paul’s customers frequently require help from groups such as those at the Disability Law Center.
“It’s much easier for pedestrians to stroll across a street rather than the driving across town and it also saves our agency a lot of money,” Ringle said.
The money to fund this $10.3 million project was sourced via the combination of federal funds, city funds, grants, and private donations. Sara Chapell manages fundraising for the center. She estimates that they have around $100,000 remaining to raise. This will be used to pay for final elements like landscaping and signs.
“We’re very fortunate to be getting closer to the end of the road,” Chapell said.
Chapell revealed that the center intends to hold a grand opening in the spring. In the meantime, the offices are open and ready to satisfy the needs of clients.
This week, clients are able to travel by bus with a city coach to the center. Capital Transit resumed service to the Teal Street Center on Monday.
