The staff and clients of the Metro Wellness and Community Center have used its new location for a month, but now it's time to show off the new digs to the community.
The St. Pete Metro Center will hold a grand opening celebration”complete with tours”on Friday, Oct. 4, at its new facility at 3251 3rd Ave. N. The new location is across the street from its old building next to Georgie's Alibi.
“It's the building with the carports,” explained Lynne Mullen, Director of Grants and Development. “The new location has so much more space and will allow us to do so much more.”
The grand opening celebration is from 6-9 p.m. and staff will offer tours of the new location, which Mullen says will become an epicenter for the local LGBT community, thanks to its expansive community room.
“We had community space before but that space kept getting smaller and smaller,” said Mullen, who has been with the organization for almost three years. “Now we'll have a huge community room and we expect it will be available for all types of community events.”
Metro Wellness and Community Centers will lease the new building, just as it did at its old location. Currently the old location as a “For Lease” sign in front. Mullen said she was unsure what the old building would become.
“That has been a great building and we love this location and neighborhood,” Mullen said. “That's why we wanted to stay as close as possible. The new location has the space we need and keep us in familiar territory. We're also still close to the bus and trolley line.”
Entry into the new location is on 33rd Street near the corner of 3rd Avenue North between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Metro Wellness and Community Center began at the King of Peace Metropolitan Community Church in 1984 and has continuously serviced the HIV/AIDS population of Tampa Bay ever since. Metro's Tampa and New Port Richey offices will remain in their current locations and are unaffected by the changes in St. Petersburg.
For more information on the new St. Petersburg Metro Wellness and Community Center, call 727-321-3854 or visit MetroTampaBay.org.
