Father creates Forest Grove community project for adults with special needs

Like most parents, Dave Curro, a 69-year-old father, is also worried about the future of his son, especially since he has a developmental disability. But now, he is one step closer to ensuring that his son has a community that supports him and makes his life more comfortable and happier.

Four years ago, he dreamt of creating a community for adults with special needs and now, he is working on it. In March, Curro bought five acres near the intersection of Carver Street and Guess Road for the community known as Forest Grove, where he hopes to form 20 tiny homes. In addition, the project plans a community centre with a catering kitchen, meeting space and multi-purpose room.

“I don’t want to restrict it to anything specific,” Dave Curro explained. “The people that live [in Forest Grove] are going to dictate what happens in the community centre, not others.” He said possible uses include a sports watch party, dance lessons and cooking classes.

On Saturday, his fundraising campaign with a lively festival attracted more than 800 people. The Forest Grove Festival was organised by Curro's non-profit, the Midtown Housing Coalition (MHC) and featured live music, more than 50 vendors, a kids zone, a petting zoo, local food and representatives from Durham Mayor's Committee for Persons with Disabilities. All proceeds from the festival went towards Forest Grove.

“I’m old… which makes this [project] more important,” Curro said. Curro's son, Bret, 39, is the inspiration behind the project. Bret has developmental disability, works at a local hotel and lives in his own apartment. Yet he craves living in an environment with a stronger sense of community and support.

“I’m excited to have my own place,” he said. Sandy Johnson, an MHC board member and mom of another hopeful resident, said her son Brandon would benefit from those community programs. “This is why I’m doing this, for him. He’ll thrive, have friends and have a community”.

While initially MHC planned to collaborate with Habitat for Humanity for the project, it later chose to work with a private builder instead, which will enable the non-profit to maintain ownership of the property. Curro said MHC spent $800,000 to buy the land and hopes to raise a total of $3.8 million to complete the project. He has a lofty goal of beginning construction in six months, and finishing the site in two years.

“They are filling a market gap that doesn’t exist,” said Liz, a Durham mother who brought her two young children who are on the autism spectrum. “This means the world to us.”