Pathways turns 20, shows off new addition
Family Pathways gave itself a 20th birthday party Friday night, with a gala to show off its Monarch Institute.
Work began last September on the 16,000-square foot addition to the west side of the former Spang and Co. building at 100 Brugh Ave.
The $3 million project included building a first-floor foyer and lounge, children's activity center and conference hall and catering kitchen. The second floor holds a planning suite, three classrooms/meeting rooms, a youth activity center and youth therapy area, while a third floor has a clinical library and staff multipurpose room.
The grounds include a butterfly garden, a grotto and a copper butterfly sculpture.
Family Pathways was incorporated as a nonprofit agency in 1998 and offers services to at-risk children and families affected by loss, separation, abuse and neglect.
For Elan Welter Lewis, the founder and director of Pathways, the anniversary, let alone the addition, is a cause to celebrate.
“I never imagined I'd get my professional dream,” she told guests at the gala.
“This was literally gravel and mud last year. Once building was started it went up like lightning,” she said.
Carol Troxell, Pathways family-based mental director, said work was all but complete on the addition.
She said, “They are pretty much doing the finishing touches.
“Work pretty much went as planned. Once they got started it went pretty smoothly,” Troxell said.
Regis Etzel, president of Etzel Engineer and Build of Saxonburg, the project's general contractor, said, “We finished two months early at the end of July. There are still a couple of small items that need to be done.”
Etzel said work went smoothly despite a few unexpected snags.
“We did have some challenges in design and code review. And when we cut into the (existing) building we came across some components we didn't expect to see,” he said.
Butler artist Bill Secunda designed and built the butterfly that hangs above the addition's entrance, a symbol of Pathway's mission of metamorphosis
The 400-pound painted steel sculpture has a 16-foot wingspan.
“It was in five pieces. I did each piece one at a time,” Secunda said. “It was probably a two-month project. I did the installation. The hard part was trying not to block views of the windows.”
Troxell said the work at Family Pathways continued during the construction.
“There was no closing down, we just worked around everything,” she said.
That work will continue in the future.
“The goal is to start children's groups, have foster parent training and provide child care when parents are in training,” Troxell said.
Lewis said Family Pathways wants to share the addition with other agencies and the community.
Lewis said she plans to have on open house later in the year for the community to view Monarch Institute.
