Photo by Ben Hensley | Located at the corner of Maple and Nees avenues, the future home of UCP+ will feature classrooms, recreation areas, a large multipurpose room, secure and expanded parking and more.

Nine years ago, Roger Slingerman stepped into his role as executive director of UCP (United Cerebral Palsy) Central California with a vision that has evolved into a nearly $9 million renovation project aimed at transforming services for individuals with disabilities.

UCP, a national nonprofit dedicated to promoting independence and inclusion of individuals with intellectual disabilities, was founded in 1949. Four years later, UCP of Central California was founded, hosting one program serving 15 children with cerebral palsy.

Today, UCP has added to its identity, incorporating the “plus” sign to its name, reflecting their work among all members of the intellectually and developmentally disabled (IDD) community.

Slingerman hopes that the “plus” incorporated into UCP+ drives questions about UCP+’s work in the Valley — questions he and his team are eager to answer. He also hopes to illustrate the organization’s efforts in including the entire IDD community in its care.

“Most people do not know that. They’ve never been in the facility. They see the new logo and they go ‘oh that’s great. It’s for people with CP,” Slingerman said. “We actually provide services for all types of intellectual mental disabilities.”

New home, new opportunities

Currently, UCP+ is located at 4224 N. Cedar Ave., and is home to 120 students. But with a large wait list, Slingerman has known since his arrival in the Valley that expansion needed to be on the horizon.

“We’re in a building that’s full,” Slingerman said about the facility near Ashlan Avenue and Highway 168. “We’re at 120 students there — waiting list up to 132.”

That led the organization to search for a new home. After mulling over the options of a ground-up facility — that would run in the range of $35 million — UCP+ opted to search for pre-built property, and in 2020 came upon a location at the corner of Nees and Maple avenues.

Formerly home to The Well Community Church, UCP was able to acquire the property for $6.3 million in 2021.

“A ground-up project would have cost us $35 million — we could never have afforded that,” Slingerman said.

Once the new facility is operational, capacity is expected to increase to nearly 300.

The new project is still a significant investment for the organization. Slingerman said the organization will be leaning heavily on donors to meet their ultimate goal and complete the project.

“This is almost a $9 million renovation project,” he said. “We’re creating ‘Key Holders’ — no different from a [donors] brick walk — but we’re doing Key Holders because we believe that you hold the key to the future of our program.”

The centerpiece of UCP+’s upgraded facility — a newly renovated, 550-person multipurpose room complete with a 30-foot by 24-foot stage complete with an ADA- (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant wheelchair lift. The room will be adjacent to a dining area and will also feature an audio-visual control booth overlooking the stage, allowing users to manage all elements of a performance or presentation from a single interface.

The multipurpose room will also house activities ranging from sporting events to community meetings and performances.

In addition to the stage area, the facility will also feature a centrally located student lounge for student, staff and family interaction and a sunroom overlooking the student plaza complete with chairs, tables, televisions and a locker room. The building will also feature staff amenities including a break room and separate administrative offices on the second floor.

The site will also improve on student hygiene and transportation capacities, including 13 changing rooms complete with showers, privacy curtains, mobility-assist lifts and hoists, along with two on-site vocational nurses to manage medications and student care.

The facility’s parking area will also see a major upgrade, increasing its parking capacity from its current 25-space lot to a 337-space lot, nine handicap-accessible stalls and two loading areas.

The additional space is key to the organization’s day-to-day functions; UCP+ transports 160 students daily, providing more than 240 trips per day with more than 40 individual routes and drivers. The new space will not only raise the organization’s capacity to transport students, but will also combat crime and theft — last year, UCP+ experienced security issues, with several vans having their catalytic converters stolen.

The new location’s gated lot will provide added security.

Slingerman said that the entire organization is anticipating the completion of the project, which he anticipates will take place towards the end of 2025.

Despite not being open completely as of May, the new center is already home to some of UCP+’s administrative offices.

“As soon as they finish [construction] we’re going to move over there,” Slingerman explained, adding that, once the project is complete, administrative offices will be in the main building. “Then these will become classrooms for the students.”

UCP “Plus”

Over the last several years, the organization has undergone a rebrand locally, incorporating a “plus” sign into its logo, aiming to shift the public perception that it solely serves clients with cerebral palsy.

“That’s a very minute number of people,” Slingerman said, adding that the organization serves all members of the IDD community.

According to ucpcc.org, the program serves people with a wide range of disabilities from Down syndrome to autism spectrum disorder and traumatic brain injuries.

UCP+ Central California is the only branch to formally adopt the “plus” into its name.

Slingerman said the UCP+ staff is actively raising awareness of the change, and aiming to provide the educational and enriching environment that students deserve.

“We’re creating that paradise,” Slingerman said. “Every dollar that is given to the students with disabilities in this community usually is from state funding and federal as well.”

As the project’s construction is in full swing, fundraising continues through naming opportunities, a Founders Club and a symbolic “Key Holders” campaign to recognize donors who “hold the key to the future of our program.”

An exclusive fundraiser, UCP+ Presents Sip & See, A Winetasting Event, featuring a sneak peek of the future home of UCP+ will take place on June 5 from 5 to 8 p.m., aiming to draw attention to the new home as well as continuing to invest in the project. Guests will be able to enjoy a wine-tasting event, music, food and a silent auction all on the campus of the future UCP+ home.

Additional information about the event, as well as tickets, can be found at ucp-sip-and-see.raiselysite.com.

For Slingerman, the name change, project and commitment UCP+ has made to the IDD community is the most fulfilling work he and his staff does.

“I’m not going to be here when I’m 100 years old,” he said. “But there will be people that will be in this facility for the next 20, 30, 40 or 50 plus years.”