South Michigan News

State Rep. Kathy Schmaltz of Jackson and leaders from the St. Louis Center appeared before a legislative committee this week to advocate for state funding aimed at upgrading the Chelsea-based facility. Schmaltz has requested a $6 million grant through Michigan’s budget process to renovate and modernize the skill building wing at St. Louis Center, which has provided services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities for over six decades.

“As the population of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities grows older, the needs become more complex and the gaps in care grow wider,” Schmaltz said. “This renovation will allow the St. Louis Center to offer specialized programming that supports healthy aging, reduces stress for families, and ensures no one is left behind simply because the right support system isn’t available.”

Since its founding, St. Louis Center has served more than 800 individuals and their families by offering residential, educational, and skill-building programs. The skill building wing was originally built in 1960 and currently houses programs focused on mental agility, physical fitness, and independence for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The proposed renovations would update this area into an accessible facility equipped with memory care resources for adults facing cognitive impairments such as Alzheimer’s disease. Plans also include a Snoezelen Therapy room designed to provide a calming environment.

“There’s no other place like this in the region,” Schmaltz said. “This is a chance for the state to step up and be a partner in something that truly changes lives.”

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor and Economic Opportunity will decide which projects receive funding as part of Michigan’s ongoing budget process.