A new and improved Planned Parenthood facility opened Tuesday to replace two locations that had become overburdened and were in need of major updates.
The new 4,400 square foot location at 2222 S. Park St. in the Villager Mall will replace the old location across the street in the Harambee Health Center, as well as the facility on the 400 block of West Mifflin Street.
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said the property on Mifflin Street is for sale, but he knows of no developers who have offered to buy the land.
The third location on North Stoughton Road, across from Madison Area Technical College, will remain the only facility in Dane County to offer abortion services.
According to Deborah Hobbins, regional vice president of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, being on South Park Street allows the organization to reach out to as many people as possible in Dane County.
""We felt like we were a straight shot off the Beltline and on the bus route for the students,"" she said.
They have seen roughly 10,000 patients in Dane County per year at the previous three locations, about 900 of which were men.
""The Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin Villager Mall collaboration exemplifies the best of what a community can and must strive for to effectively address the health and well-being of a community,"" Mayor Dave Cieslewicz said in a statement.
The new facility is in a building owned by the Urban League of Madison, which according to Hobbins will hopefully benefit the patients. The new Park Street branch of the Madison Public Library will also find a space in the new building.
""It gives an opportunity to have our patients seek out job training or other information available at the library when they visit Planned Parenthood,"" she said.
Planned Parenthood states they are a prevention-based provider and focus their work on preventing unplanned pregnancies and preventing transmitted infections.
