Hitchcock Center for Women unveils new $28M facility

Driving the news: Nonprofit and city leaders cut the ribbon Monday on the modern complex, which combines clinical care with wraparound services.

• The facility also includes 53 Section 8 supportive housing units to give women stability after treatment.

Catch up quick: For more than three decades, the Hitchcock Center operated out of the former St. Mary Seminary overlooking Rockefeller Park.

• Its roots stretch back to 1975, when founder Jayne Mazzarella launched the nation's first hospital-based treatment center for women, later acquiring the Hitchcock House on the Case Western Reserve University campus to continue her work.

Between the lines: The lead architect on the project was Mark Dodds of The Finch Group, who died unexpectedly last month.

• "The building behind me has Mark's imprint on it," said Hitchcock Center board chair Amy Asseff.

By the numbers: Funding came through low-income housing tax credits and a mix of public and private contributions, including by Cleveland Clinic, the City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, the ADAMHS Board, and Fifth Third Bank.

The bottom line: "This is not just about a building," said Vickie Johnson, Cleveland Clinic's chief community officer.

• "This is about the women and the children, to give them dignity and respect, to regain their voice, to help them care for their families."