Mpower expands into Warrnambool CBD, eyes new mulit-million-dollar facility

The demand for the growing service has prompted the city organisation to begin planning for a whole new multi-million dollar facility.

New offices at the rear of the Glasshouse Plaza opened just over a week ago which will house its corporate staff, and the neighbouring shopfront has been turned into a meeting room.

But Mpower is considering turning it into a drop-in safe space for people with disabilities to go when they are in the CBD.

Mpower chief executive officer Kevin Mills said it had run out of room at its 71 Koroit Street site and the lack of space had started to impact services.

"Our services have grown pretty significantly over the last few years," he said.

As have staff numbers which increased from 73 to about 100 in the past 12 months.

So to create more space for therapy and group rooms, it has moved corporate staff in to the CBD and into a long-vacant shop in the Glasshouse Plaza.

Work is now being done at the Koroit Street site to turn some of the office spaces back into therapy spaces, which he said was "a significant investment".

"Yes we've got this longer term plan but you want to be having a great space for people to be coming to right now," Mr Mills said.

"We don't want it to be three to five years for people to have a nice spot to go.

"The overall plan would be to do a new development somewhere that we can be wholly on the one site again and have amazing spaces indoor and outdoor spaces for our therapies and playgroups."

Mpower is scoping out potential new locations, including greenfield sites or those that could be redeveloped.

Mr Mills said Mpower did have some funds in reserves but it would look to raise money through grants and philanthropic trusts.

He said rebuilding on their Koroit Street site was "almost impossible" because of its residential zoning.

Mr Mills said the vision for the new facility would be to create a community hub with inviting spaces for the community, not just a place to come to for therapy sessions and playgroups.

He said the service had started as an early intervention centre and catering to early years, but that had now expanded.

"It's not just disability services either," Mr Mills said.

Mpower now covered all age groups in areas such as carers support, family services and out of home care, he said.

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