The Bivona Child Advocacy Center begins renovations on its new location today.
The center is moving to the historic Old Stone Warehouse on One Mount Hope Avenue. The Rochester landmark is almost 200 years old, and poses some challenges to its renovation team.
Charlie Kelly is the owner of CP Kelly and Associates. His company was hired as the general contractor on the project. Kelly says despite the difficulty working on an old building like this one, he's excited to work on such an historic building, especially for Bivona.
"Once you bring it back to life it's just really -- it just makes you feel great inside."
The renovations are expected to take between 8 - 9 months, and Bivona staff hopes to be moved in by August of 2015.
Dr. Elizabeth Murray is a pediatrician with Golisano Children's Hospital, but she also works in partnership with Bivona through their Reach Program. She says she's excited about what this move means to the future of the organization.
"Being able to have this space to care for the children, to care for their families, to care for the team members - because we are going through it with them, too - to know that we have the best possible facility to do right by the kids, it's just absolutely wonderful."
Murray says new location is bigger, which will allow them to grow their staff and extend their services to meet the needs of more sexually and physically abused children.
