Building the New Birchtree

We are so thankful to Birchtree's loyal friends who helped us find a wonderful new home in Newington! This is the story of just a few of the skilled and generous people who helped us get here.

For many years, Birchtree had been looking for room to grow. Our old school building was unable to accommodate the growing number of children and youth with autism who needed Birchtree's specialized autism services.

Our board of directors asked Realtor Gail Hughes for her help. Ms. Hughes did an extensive survey of available properties and found the ideal location for our programs at Newington Park. Dan Hoefle and Jane Ferrini, of Hoefle Phoenix Gormley & Roberts, P.A., Attorneys at Law, assisted with lease negotiations.

Executive Director Dr. Christine Guarino explains the construction plan to staff members, October 22, 2009

Architect Bruce Dicker, of JSA, Incorporated, studied the best practices for designing educational facilities for children and youth with autism. He then worked with our staff to develop an economical plan for renovating the Newington Park property to suit our students' special needs. Mike Parma, his colleague at JSA, assisted with the design.

Sidewalk construction at The Birchtree Center's new facility,
November 4, 2009

The Town of Newington made us feel very welcome in our new home. Building Inspector Charles Smart and Fire Chief Roy Greenleaf provided invaluable assistance. We also received help from Town Planner Tom Morgan, the Selectmen, and countless staff and board members.

Constructing the Main Entrance, December 2, 2009

Dick Johnson of Pine Brook Corporation oversaw renovations to the facility. "He was the hero of this project," says Executive Director Dr. Christine Guarino. "He brought the project in in record time and with great grace and style." Dr. Guarino devoted countless hours to overseeing the project and coordinating Birchtree's relocation to Newington.

The hard-working people at Pine Brook and some wonderful subcontractors worked long hours to complete the project on schedule. Construction concluded just in time, and we were able to move in to Birchtree's new home over the winter holiday.

Installing appliances in the Life Skills kitchen, December 15, 2009

Many staff members and parents worked over the winter break to move classroom furnishings into our new facility. Our students' first day in their new school was January 4th, less than three months after renovations had begun.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this move possible! We are so fortunate to have such good friends in the community.