OXFORD TWP. – Work has begun renovating an existing facility on the Crossroads for Youth campus so it can house current and future female victims of abuse and neglect during their treatment and healing.

“It will be more state-of-the-art,” said Karen Gully, community relations coordinator for Crossroads, a private, nonprofit treatment agency that serves at-risk youth. “The building they live in now was built in the 1950s.”

“It’s going to be a beautiful facility for these young girls,” said Crossroads Executive Director Marc Porter.

Expected to open this September, the 5,500-square-foot residence will be called the Matus House, in memory of Bill Matus, who served as Crossroads’ first director from 1953 until his retirement in 1983. Back then, it was called Camp Oakland. It became Crossroads for Youth in 1999.

Gully believes it’s a fitting tribute to name the building after Matus because he was “such a driving force” in the agency’s formation and early growth. Camp Oakland’s early residents often referred to him as “dad.”

“He loved what he was doing here and it definitely showed,” Gully said.

Porter called Matus a “visionary” and sees naming this facility after him as a way to honor his legacy by connecting Crossroads’ past, present and future.

“(Matus) really understood how to provide great treatment for kids in a very safe and unique environment,” he said.

Crossroads for Youth is currently licensed to house 30 boys and 15 girls, ages 7 to 17, who have been abused and neglected. They are referred by the Department of Health and Human Services.

The new Matus House will allow Crossroads to increase its licensed capacity for girls, according to Gully. “There will be beds for 20 kids in there,” she said.

Gully said the Matus House will be a safe place for the girls because everything will be situated on a single floor and there will be plenty of glass throughout the building to allow staff members to better supervise residents.

“Staff has to have their eyes on kids at all times . . . That’s the way care has evolved over the years,” she said. “It’s not just something we do. It’s the way it is in the industry.

You have to watch kids all the time now. It’s for their safety.”

Gully said the girls and boys who come to Crossroads have previously been “traumatized.”

They have “endured a pretty high level of abuse and neglect,” which can result in anger and trust issues, she explained.

To prevent them from potentially harming themselves or others, it’s necessary to keep a close eye on them.

“Safety’s our number one concern here,” Gully stressed.

The new Matus House will contain special features to help residents relax and heal during their stay. For example, there will be an enclosed back porch with a fireplace and a sensory room where the girls can go to “decompress” and “work out problems,” according to Gully.

Porter said the sensory room will house various activities designed to help residents “cool down” and “decrease their anxiety and anger.” It will also contain softer lighting that’s more conducive to relaxation and contemplation.

“They can go in there and meditate and calm themselves down,” Porter said.

The renovation is expected to cost approximately $600,000. Partnering with Crossroads on the project are LoChirco Custom Homes and Designhaus Architecture, both of which are based in Rochester, along with Northern Flooring and Interiors in Orion Township.

Gully noted Designhaus Architecture donated the plans.

Also partnering with Crossroads is Design for a Difference, a community-based, design-driven movement dedicated to making over spaces belonging to nonprofit organizations.

The 320-acre Crossroads for Youth campus spans both the north and south sides of E. Drahner Rd.

The Matus House is located on the north side, while the current girls residential facility is on the south side.

Last year, Crossroads listed the south side of its campus for sale. Zoned for single-family residential use under Suburban Farms 1 (SF-1), which requires lots to be a minimum of 2.5 acres each, the asking price is $3 million for 160 acres.

“Eventually, we will all be consolidated on the north property,” Gully said.