BAC Celebrates Groundbreaking for a New Administrative and Arts Building

BAC recently celebrated the growth of their mission with the expansion of their Rockledge-based headquarters.

The BAC team was joined by community leaders and programs participants for a groundbreaking ceremony commemorating the start of construction for the agency’s new administrative and arts building, which will provide expanded space for additional services to individuals with disabilities. The event was sponsored by Southern Janitor Supply and Bellus Insurance Services.

A number of stakeholders symbolically broke ground including BAC President & CEO Amar Patel; Don Weiss, Chair of the BAC Board of Directors; Patricia Tellechea and Travis Proctor, BAC Board members and part of its New Building Task Force and Dr. Brenda Fettrow, Rockledge City Manager.

Project partners including general contractor ME Construction, DNA Architects, ABI Interiors and Owners Representative Doug Bress have all worked closely with BAC’s Vice President of Administration and CFO Ryan Rogers on the project, anticipated to be completed in July of 2022.

The project features a 10,000 square foot administrative building and an expanded BAC Arts Studio. In addition, BAC also recently acquired an existing building on Hawk Street in Rockledge that will further expand its footprint and is just steps from the current location.

With this additional space, the existing administrative building and arts studio will be reconfigured to allow for maximum growth of BAC’s employment services, Adult Day and Industry Readiness Training programs as well as its in-house Production department.

“We are extremely excited for the growth of our mission that the new buildings will facilitate,” stated Patel. “Not only does this expansion allow us to safely return participants to our Adult Day Training program, resuming our pre-COVID-19 attendance level, but also expand our employment and training programs to further meet the needs of those we serve while providing the skills future employers seek in a diversified workforce.”

The groundbreaking ceremony included a breakfast reception and offered attendees the opportunity to learn more about the programs offered by BAC. Local artists with disabilities were on hand to showcase some of the works that have been created in the Studio at BAC and a general air of excitement regarding the new and upgraded arts facility was expressed.

Along with employment training and enrichment programs, BAC also directly employs over 650 individuals with disabilities on various federal and commercial contracts with operations throughout the southeast from Virginia to Puerto Rico. These service contracts are won through a bidding process to determine the most qualified and inclusive workforce. BAC also recently revitalized its brand allowing stakeholders and community members to more readily access information and programs offered through the agency.