Summerville disabilities center to undergo multi-million dollar renovations

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCSC) - An 85-acre property dedicated to serving and supporting generations of adults with developmental disabilities will soon see a shift in its structure and resources, opening an opportunity for hundreds to lay their heads and receive care.

The Coastal Center is one of five regional support facilities offered by the South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs. The property, located off of Miles Jamison Road in Summerville, is home to more than 120 residents and has served others for generations.

State legislators and Lowcountry leaders made the first step in “turning the dirt” for a project on Friday to use a portion of $153.8 million in state funding to upgrade buildings and introduce new amenities.

Lisa Morelli serves as President of the Parents and Guardians Association, which includes family members who have loved ones living on the property due to a disability. Her brother is an active resident.

“As parents, guardians and siblings, we are on campus quite a bit. When you are on campus and you see things like the plumbing needs updating, or a roof needs to be updated, you immediately understand the livability for our siblings and loved ones needs to be improved,” Morelli said.

The groundbreaking comes one year after the center pushed at the state capital for help with “long-awaited” construction and changes to the facility, which was built in the 1960s.

Senator Sean Bennett believes the age of the building and its location led locals and statewide leaders to forget about the center’s existence, which drove it further into crisis.

“I came to visit and saw some of the conditions of some of the cottages out here, I was appalled,” Senator Sean Bennett said. “Children would have soccer games and tee ball games, and the community would participate in this place. It’s been kind of, almost, shut off.”

The multi-million-dollar renovations will include at least 17 buildings on the campus. This includes improvements to HVAC, fire safety, electrical systems, communications, new equipment and technology.

Any money not used out of the jar will go to improving conditions at the four other regional facilities in the state.

Facility Administrator John Dooney said he joined the team as a retired Navy veteran, insistent on fulfilling a purpose of caring for others.

“We’re it. The residents who live here, we take care of them. That’s a part of it, health and safety and improving their quality of life,” Dooney said.

Dooney expects the renovations to expand resident capacity by 20% and to provide room for job opportunities. The center employs roughly 300 full-time staff members and an undisclosed number of volunteers.

The group emphasized how the facility is more than simply caring for the people inside.

“This is their home. This is not an outpatient facility, this is not a hospital. The folks that live here are a part of the community. They have challenges, they have special needs, but they are still a part of the community,” Bennett said.

“Their survival is by our hands. They cannot care for themselves, they cannot feed themselves, they cannot cool themselves. My sister is 81 years old and her survival rate is by the help given by our hands,” Annette Green said.