Keshet’s new community center is about more than just a gym, training kitchen, café, and pool—it’s about creating a community of belonging for all. This month, we’re premiering an exclusive video giving you a first look at what the space will become and hearing directly from participants about what they’re most excited to experience.
Keshet donors and families gathered in our current building one last time to “Picture the Possibilities” before construction begins on our new community center. Guests toured the space, witnessed the dreams of our participants on the drywall and joined together for a special “before” photo. This event marks a milestone of new beginnings as we frame the future of all that lies ahead for our community.
Keshet’s Transition program has officially moved into the Kersten Campus! Relocating from Ida Crown Jewish Academy in Skokie to the same side of the building as GADOL, Transition students now have access to the vibrant Highland Park community while getting acclimated to their new home.
A group of staff and outside experts joined with the architects to select every element of the building. From color palettes to floor textures and tiling, each choice reflects our vision for Keshet’s dream space, with universal design at the forefront. HGTV, who?
Here’s a sneak peek into our future training kitchen, pool and GADOL programming room.
This summer, some of our participants stepped inside the new building to share what they’re most excited for. We captured their raw reactions and interviewed them as part of a larger video project we can’t wait to share soon.
We just received some elevated renderings of our spaces! Seeing this artwork helps us stay even truer to our vision and makes us more excited about the potential of this space.
Over the last few months, LCM Architects has been working diligently to create the most modern, inclusive and functional design for our future home. We can’t wait to see these plans come to life when construction begins!
We’re in talks with the Highland Park Park District and the Art Center of Highland Park about a potential project that could bring even more community engagement to the building—stay tuned!
Over 250 community members gathered to celebrate the Kersten Campus and Justin Coe Center. This significant day was about more than construction; we’re building a foundation for Keshet’s future where creating a community of belonging is the cornerstone of everything we do. You can see more pictures from the event here.
After months of meetings and focus groups, we met with the architects to begin determining the layout of spaces. The process is a little like a puzzle where we need to figure out how to best designate spaces that will work for us when we move in and for years to come. The architects will use this information to create the final plans for the community center.
Project managers and architects have held many focus groups about the building with staff, families and participants. One of the common themes is the need for a gymnasium in Keshet’s community center. Gyms, especially ones where you can play basketball, volleyball, rock climb and host Special Olympics games, need to be big. The solution is to raise the roof on the second floor of the building to accommodate a gymnasium that can bring Keshet’s programs to the next level.
It’s moving day for Keshet’s adult day program. GADOL will now take place in a temporary spot on the Kersten Campus until the new community center is ready to open. GADOL’s new location is converted office space that is brighter and more accessible than where we were before. There is also a wraparound balcony that will be perfect for gardening boxes in the spring and summer.
After an exhaustive search process, LCM Architects has been selected to design Keshet’s community center. LCM is headquartered in Chicago and is considered a leader in designing for accessibility that goes beyond just complying with laws. Their approach to universal design will lend to the usability and welcoming feel of our new home.
Scott Canel, Keshet parent and long-time supporter, knew it as soon as he saw it. The vacant Equinox building at 799 Central Avenue could be the perfect home for Keshet! The building and surrounding campus is located near MY Life houses, close to public transportation, integrated with other businesses and has enough space to grow. Today we closed on the property with the help of Scott Canel, Steven Insoft, Billy Mass, Mitchell Roth and Andrew Silver. It’s ours!
