It has always been the heart of Orlando's LGBTQ community. But now, following the tragedy at Pulse nightclub, The Center on Mills Avenue is out of room.

  • The Center along Mills Avenue eyes expansion
  • New space will include 3 HIV testing rooms
  • Construction to be completed by mid-April

"We're here for the community, and we give them what they need," said Terry DeCarlo, executive director of The Center. "And over there in that space, that was hard."

After the June 12 mass shooting at Pulse, DeCarlo said The Center became ground zero for volunteers and resources — 35,000 cases of water flowed through the small building as hundreds packed in for press conferences on the latest updates.

The number of people they served each month — 5,000 — suddenly ballooned.

"After June 12, that went up to about 7,500 people a month," DeCarlo said. "The community then knew that's what The Center Does. 'The Center is over there, I've got to go.'"

The Center is one of the largest HIV testers in the state, and DeCarlo knew the need for additional testing rooms was imminent.

"We are so overloaded over there and people are waiting," he said. "And that's the problem. We don't want people to wait, because people are limited on time. Sometimes they can't wait, and we lose them. We don't want to lose people who are coming in to get tested."

One room will turn into three testing rooms in the new space, which will be staffed by the Florida Department of Health in Orange County and volunteers. Within the 8,000 square feet, a cyber center for resume writing and GED classes, as well as a larger room for community meetings.

DeCarlo said The Center owned the adjacent space for years, but the 1940s building — which was once a framing shop — was under-utilized and needed remodeling to get up to code. A community development block grant worth about $200,000, plus private donations totaling about $60,000, backed construction.

Work began in January 2016.

"We physically had to tear out every wire, every wall in this building," said DeCarlo, explaining they encountered unforeseen costs, such as a $20,000 fire escape in order to use the second floor of the building.

But as DeCarlo and his team of volunteers look to the future, they're proceeding with caution.

Two complains filed against The Center last fall allege mishandling of money. It led to a $1,000 fine from the state. The investigation cited mainly trivial issues, such as name changes and disclosures.

There was a more serious finding, though. The $2,137 raised on July 22, 2016, in a Center event called "Orlando's Got Talent." The event was designed to benefit the family of Pulse victim Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado. The money remained in the organization's bank account months later. The situation was remedied after the state brought the matter to The Center's attention.

"Money was coming in like crazy. We were trying to make sure it went to the right place. It went into the account, it was just never written out of the account," DeCarlo said, also stating he takes full responsibility for the error. "Should I have hired an accounting firm to say, 'You know what? Money comes in, take it. Just make this happen.' Yes."

Following the investigation, The Center is now putting together a handbook for other organizations on how to handle money from fundraisers and remain in compliance, DeCarlo said.

"It was one of the best things that could've been done," he said. "Because now we know where we were messing up. And we know we can never do that again. After June 12, we learned a lot here in Orlando. It hangs over, I think about it every single day. But, I know that this space here is going to create so much more to help the community."

Construction on the new space is expected to be completed by mid-April.