Children's Dental nonprofit bought a building for $1.65 million to offer more care
Sep. 20—ROCHESTER — Children's Dental Health Services recently paid $1.65 million to buy its own clinic building to house the growing Rochester nonprofit and reduce wait times for kids needing dental care.
Children's Dental, which is now based in Rochester's United Way Building, bought a 6,500-square-foot building at 1615 14 St. NW and an adjacent lot on Sept. 4. The 59-year-old building is currently occupied by Northwest Dental Group , which has two other facilities in Rochester and one in Byron.
Rochester Realtor Jay Christenson of Loam Commercial Real Estate represented both Children's Dental and the seller Woodbury-based Coram Deo Properties in the deal. Olmsted County estimated the combined total market value of the property at $843,900 for 2014-2025.
"It's a very, very large leap for us. It's a very scary one, but it's necessary. We want to grow. We want to be able to hire more staff," said CDHS Executive Director Sarah Hayes Anderson. "And I literally don't have anywhere for them to sit and eat lunch in our current space. We are on top of each other."
Founded in 2006, CDHS provides preventative services and restorative care to about 4,000 children in elementary, middle and high schools in seven counties.
The preventive care is provided via mobile units at the schools. The restorative care, like fillings and tooth extractions, are done by staff at three clinic rooms in the United Way Building. They also have clinic rooms in the United Way Building in Austin.
About 45 percent of the children they see need some sort of restorative care. The need is so great that wait times for a care appointment can take up six months.
"The need out there just exceeds our ability. We can't physically meet it. And to me, that's just unacceptable, so we're just working harder and harder to grow to get that met," she said.
Children's Dental is planning to build out six treatment rooms in the 14 Street Northwest building, which will double its current capacity. The dental clinic gives the nonprofit the option to continue to grow up to 12 treatment rooms.
Northwest Dental still has a lease on the space, so the tentative plan is for Children's Dental to officially take over the building at the start of 2025 to begin renovations.
"We're really fortunate. This is the perfect spot for us, as it's been a dental office. The basic infrastructure is there for us," said Hayes Anderson. "We just have to go in and make it our own space... make it child-friendly, bright and colorful."
The goal is to have the facility ready for Children's Dental to begin operations there by late spring or early summer.
