A.E.R.O. Therapeutic Center has opened its doors! EEA’s Ben Ahring and Jeff Geldmeyer recently attended the ribbon cutting for this exciting new space. As a subconsultant to Legat Architects, our firm provided civil, traffic, and parking engineering services for the 150,000-square-foot facility, which has become one of the largest special education sites in the Midwest. We are so proud to have worked on such an important project.

A.E.R.O. is a special education cooperative composed of eleven member school districts with a mission to assist member districts in providing comprehensive special education programs and services to children with disabilities. Prior to the construction of the Therapeutic Center, the A.E.R.O. Special Education Cooperative utilized two 50-year-old buildings that had become overcrowded and challenging for students to safely access and navigate. The new facility offers students with cognitive and physical disabilities, as well as behavioral and emotional disorders, the opportunity to learn and grow in a safe, supportive, and enrichening environment all under the same roof. The site was designed to accommodate over 500 students (ranging from age three to 22) and 375 staff.

For more information, check out Legat Architect’s design philosophy, process and execution here.