Pace Center for Girls eyes Bradenton campus expansion. ‘We’re not out of business’
In June, demolition crews took down the Pace Center for Girls Manatee building at 3508 26th St. W.
The Cedar Hammock Fire Control District used the demolition site to get in some training by blowing smoke through the building and putting water on it, said Amy Wick Mavis, executive director of Pace Center for Girls Manatee.
Air conditioning units salvaged from the campus were donated to the Women’s Resource Center.
But contrary to what some may have perceived, the demolition marked not an end, but a move forward for Pace Manatee and its long-planned development of an expanded, more modern campus.
Those plans, in the works since at least 2015, call for Pace to move from its former 9,000-square-foot space into a new 19,000-square-foot facility on the same property.
In the interim, Pace has moved its program into space at Christ Episcopal Church, 4030 Manatee Ave. W., that previously served as St. Stephen’s middle school.
“We’re not out of business like a lot of people think,” said Wick Mavis
Pace helps girls who are struggling and who have experienced some form of trauma to get their grades back on track, while learning in a safe and supportive environment.
Pace also helps the girls get along better with friends and family and plan for a productive future.
When Pace Manatee opened in 1989, it was the second Pace Center in Florida. There are now 21. Pace Manatee has served more than 1,500 girls in Manatee County by providing holistic social, academic, and career-building services.
“Pace girls are behind academically at least two years and because of COVID-19, they are even more behind,” Wick Mavis said.
“Girls come and leave Pace throughout the years as they achieve their goals,” she said.
Looking forward
Pace has raised about $6 million of a $6.5 million capital campaign.
The campaign is chaired by John and Amanda Horne, owners of the Anna Maria Oyster Bar restaurants and Cafe L’Europe.
Amanda Horne, a longtime supporter of Pace, introduced her husband to the program for at-risk students about 16 years ago.
“It was like love at first sight, to see what they’re doing and the results they have with the girls,” John Horne previously said.
It’s remarkable that the Hornes have been able to raise so much money in a short time, considering that the first capital campaign meeting was held March 2, 2020, Wick Mavis said.
Pace Center is now working through zoning and permitting with Manatee County Government, and Wick Mavis is hopeful that the new building will be under construction in 2024.
“We have been planning this journey a long time,” Wick Mavis said.
Once the planned building is completed, Pace expects to expand its enrollment beyond the current cap of 59, as well as extend its reach by sending counselors into the community.
“We will be able to serve more girls in the building and more with our outreach,” Wick Mavis said. “Our Pace families are our best referral source, and, of course, the schools, too. Our girls who’ve gone through the program are everywhere, in businesses and schools.”
Christi Haley, Pace’s development director, says that the girls enrolled at Pace made the choice to be there.
“That makes a difference,” Haley said.
Adds Wick Mavis: “It’s critical for each girl to feel safe here and to be herself.”
Pace puts the emphasis on small class sizes, working closely with the girls and their families to work through barriers to success.
“At the same time we want to make it fun,” said Wick Mavis.
Typically, Pace girls are ages 11 to 18, and in grades six through 12. They are enrolled in Pace for no more than two years.
For more information about Pace, call Randi Katz or Christi Haley at 941-751-4566 or visit https://www.pacecenter.org/.
This story was originally published September 29, 2023 at 10:30 AM.
