“This has always been about building something bigger than a facility,” said Golisano. “By bringing Mary Cariola Center School and the Golisano Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Institute together on one campus, we are creating an environment where education, research, clinical care, and family services work hand in hand. That collaboration is what will truly improve the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”

Marketplace Mall is currently being evaluated by both organizations as a potential site of the co-located campus.  University of Rochester officials confirmed they are actively evaluating available space at Marketplace Mall and performing all required due diligence in advance of finalizing location plans. More specific details will be shared later.

The co-location is central to Golisano’s vision. By situating a premier regional school serving children with complex disabilities alongside a first-of-its-kind institute focused on IDD research, professional education, and clinical care, a co-located campus would foster daily interaction among educators, therapists, physicians, researchers, students and families. Mary Cariola and the University of Rochester would remain as separate and independent organizations in this co-location initiative. Benefits they hope to achieve include:

• Improved coordination of services for families navigating complex systems of care
• Strengthened educational programming through direct access to clinical and research expertise
• Accelerated research by grounding it in real-world classrooms and therapeutic settings
• Expanded workforce development and professional training opportunities

“For too long, services for individuals with IDD have operated in silos,” Erica Dayton, Executive Director of the Golisano Foundation said. “When professionals learn together, work together and train together alongside individuals with IDD, outcomes improve. This proposed campus creates a model where innovation and access are built into the structure itself.”

“Co-locating our organization on the same property with the new Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Institute creates extraordinary opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and impact,” said Karen Zandi, President & CEO of the Mary Cariola Center. “By sharing space with leading researchers, clinicians, and therapies, we are strengthening our collective ability to develop solutions that improve the lives of individuals with IDD and the professionals who support them. This strengthens our commitment to create a future where inclusion, dignity, and scientific discovery advance together.”

Today’s announcement builds on decades of close collaboration between the University of Rochester Medical Center and Mary Cariola Center to support children with IDD and their families. Providers from Golisano Children’s Hospital who specialize in developmental and behavioral pediatrics, gastroenterology, and neurology provide outpatient visits to Mary Cariola students. Many Mary Cariola families participate in research studies with URMC scientists working to improve diagnosis and treatments for IDD.

The planning for co-located campuses will build on current collaborations to improve support for children with IDD and their families in our region and around the world, according to John Foxe, the University’s Killian J. Caroline F. Schmitt Chair of Neuroscience and Director of the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, who will also direct the new Golisano IDD Institute.

“From the gift that led to creation of the nation’s first Golisano Children’s Hospital more than 20 years ago, to his recent $50 million commitment to help the University create a new transdisciplinary Institute, no individual champion has done more than Tom Golisano to advance research, care, education, and support for individuals with IDD and their families,” Foxe said. “We are working hard to leverage Tom’s investment to create the world’s top IDD institute and to support his vision for co-location with Mary Cariola Center.”

For Golisano, the investment reflects a lifelong commitment to dignity, inclusion, and opportunity of individuals with IDD. “Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities deserve the same level of innovation, excellence, and access that we expect in every other area of healthcare and education,” he said. “This newly co-located facility model brings us closer to a future where families can find support, professionals can receive specialized training, and individuals with IDD can reach their fullest potential.”

About Tom Golisano & The Golisano Foundation

Tom Golisano, — entrepreneur, philanthropist, and civic leader — is the founder of Paychex, Inc., the nation’s largest human resource company for small to medium-sized businesses. Mr. Golisano’s vision, perseverance, and action have left an indelible mark on a broad spectrum of issues that touch our lives in business, healthcare, education, animal welfare, voter policies, politics, and tax reform. His investments are advancing entrepreneurship and driving the success of numerous businesses and start-ups. His philanthropic contributions to education, hospitals - including multiple children’s hospitals across the country that bear his name through the Golisano Children’s Alliance and numerous other organizations exceed $1 billion. 

A fierce advocate for dignity and inclusion, in 1985 Tom Golisano applied his pioneering spirit to establish the Golisano Foundation to make the world a better place for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. With more than $120 million in gross assets, it is one of the largest private foundations in the U.S. devoted to supporting programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities awarding grants to non-profit organizations in Western New York and Southwest Florida.

About Mary Cariola Center

Founded in 1949, Mary Cariola Center provides educational and therapeutic services to children with complex disabilities, including intellectual and developmental challenges. Serving hundreds of students annually, the Center is committed to fostering independence, dignity, and inclusion. The agency employs over 725 staff, making it a top 50 employer in Rochester. Students come from 58 different school districts and 11 counties in the area. Over 40 individuals call Cariola home in the residential program. Cariola is an independent, non-profit agency and will remain one, will just be co-locating.

About the University of Rochester Golisano IDD Institute

The University of Rochester has long been at the forefront of improving care, advancing research, and expanding resources available to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). It is one of eight institutions in the nation that have earned three top national distinctions—designated by the federal government as an Intellectual and Developmental Research Center, a Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities training center, and a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities care. Over the past decade, the University has invested more than $80 million in expanding research programs and opening new facilities that provide medical and dental care to more than 15,000 people with IDD annually.

Thanks to a transformative $50 million gift from entrepreneur and philanthropist Tom Golisano, the University is building the Golisano Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Institute. This historic philanthropic investment will help to strengthen the University of Rochester’s role as a leader in IDD, centralizing resources in one location to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and amplify impact.

$4 Million State Investment Supports Transformational Project for Students with Complex Disabilities

Project Builds on $25 Million Gift from Tom Golisano and Co-Location with University of Rochester Medical Center

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced $4 million in State capital funding to support the Mary Cariola Center’s plan to transform a significant portion of the former Marketplace Mall in Henrietta into a modern, accessible educational campus for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities and complex medical needs. This project builds on a landmark $25 million philanthropic gift from Tom Golisano and will be co-located with the University of Rochester Medical Center’s (URMC) Golisano Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Institute — creating a first-of-its-kind model in New York State and across the nation for integrated education, health care and support services.

“New York is proud to support the Mary Cariola Center as it reimagines this former retail space into a hub of opportunity, care and inclusion for children and families,” Governor Hochul said. “This investment will help create a safe, accessible and innovative learning environment where students with complex needs can thrive close to home while strengthening connections to critical health services.”

The State’s investment will support the redevelopment of a major portion of the Marketplace Mall into a state-of-the-art campus featuring specialized classrooms, therapy spaces, adaptive technology labs and recreational areas tailored to students with significant challenges.

Once complete, the campus will be located alongside the University of Rochester Medical Center’s Golisano Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Institute, creating a unique co-location model that integrates education and clinical services in one setting. Many Mary Cariola students already receive care through URMC, making this project a natural and impactful expansion of services.

The project reflects New York State’s continued commitment to investing in innovative, community-centered solutions that expand access to specialized education and services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Congressman Joe Morelle said, “Everyone deserves the chance to thrive, and thanks to the dedicated work of the Mary Cariola Center, we’re helping make that a reality in Rochester. I’m grateful to Governor Hochul for providing funding to support this expansion, and I look forward to seeing the Mary Cariola Center’s new campus very soon.” 

Mary Cariola Center President and CEO Karen Zandi said, “This is more than a building — it’s a bold step toward reimagining education and care for children who require specialized support. Governor Hochul’s support underscores a shared commitment to these students, their families and the broader community, and brings us closer to making this transformational vision a reality.”

State Senator Samra Brouk said, “As Chair of the Senate Mental Health Committee, helping Rochester area children and their families get the care and services they need is one of my top priorities. The Mary Cariola Center is an incredible partner in this work helping to provide educational and therapeutic services to young people with intellectual disabilities and developmental challenges. Today’s announcement of state funding to support the Mary Cariola Center expansion into the former Marketplace Mall space marks a significant milestone in investing in the services that upstate families need and demonstrates our commitment to expanding access to specialized education and services for vulnerable children.”

State Senator Jeremy Cooney said, “For over 75 years, Mary Cariola Center has set the standard for providing compassionate, individualized services for youth with complex disabilities. Building off of Mr. Golisano’s generous donation, this substantial funding from Governor Hochul will now cement Mary Cariola as the model for care for the next 75 years and beyond. This first of its kind collaboration with URMC will mean that every child in our community will be able to receive the care, education, and services that they deserve and I want to thank Governor Hochul for this investment and for prioritizing the needs of our youth living with disabilities.”

Assemblymember Harry B. Bronson said, "For decades, Mary Cariola Center has been providing families throughout the Rochester region with the educational opportunity and dignity their children deserve. I am thrilled state funding is being allocated for the expansion and relocation of the Mary Cariola Center to one campus in Henrietta, where they will be connected to URMC. This investment will help redevelop and repurpose vacant Marketplace Mall space into an accessible, modern learning facility that will further elevate Mary Cariola's mission to inspire and empower children with complex disabilities and their families. I thank Governor Hochul and my Greater Rochester Majority Delegation colleagues for their partnership and support for this effort and offer a heartfelt congratulations to the Mary Cariola community on this wonderful next chapter.”

Assemblymember Sarah Clark said, “Every day the Mary Cariola Center transforms lives for families and children. Ensuring their powerful work can continue to meet the needs of everyone is top priority. Co-locating Mary Cariola with URMC’s Golisano Institute means students can access specialized instruction, therapies, and medical care in one place. This is a smart, targeted investment that will impact families who too often have to navigate fragmented systems to get the care and education their children deserve. This new project will take underutilized space and turn it into a center of opportunity, support, and dignity for some of our most vulnerable residents. I am proud to support investment for this initiative and thank you to Governor Hochul, Mr. Golisano and everyone who made this historic moment possible. New York is committed to innovative, person-centered care, and I am so excited to see Rochester leading the way.”

Assemblymember Demond Meeks said, "The $4 million investment in the Mary Cariola Center’s new campus at Marketplace Mall is a vital advancement for our community. By bringing specialized education and world-class clinical care together in one accessible location, we are establishing a new standard for how we support children with complex disabilities and their families. This project not only breathes new life into a significant local space but ensures that our students have the state-of-the-art resources they deserve to thrive. I am proud to support this innovative partnership between the State, the Mary Cariola Center and Mr. Golisano as we work toward a more inclusive and supportive Rochester."

Assemblymember Jen Lunsford said, "Children with disabilities deserve the same educational opportunities every other child in our state receives, and Mary Cariola has been critical in helping provide those opportunities to families across our region for decades. This investment, coupled with the funding from Mr. Golisano, is going to provide our State with a first-of-its-kind educational campus that will allow us to provide quality educational and healthcare services to our most vulnerable children. This model will help demonstrate the impact these investments can have on individual students, their families and our broader community. I am so excited to see what we are able to build here and share it with my colleagues across the country as a model for what is possible!"

New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities Commissioner Willow Baer said, “For more than 75 years, the Mary Cariola Center has been providing comprehensive and compassionate support to children with developmental disabilities in a nurturing educational environment. Along with another valuable partner, the University of Rochester, we are thrilled to see the Mary Cariola Center expand essential services for children in this reimagined space and we are grateful for Governor Hochul’s leadership and continued commitment to inclusion and equity for all New Yorkers.”

DASNY President & CEO Robert J. Rodriguez said, “This project represents the kind of forward-thinking investment that defines Governor Hochul’s commitment to inclusive, community-centered infrastructure. By supporting the Mary Cariola Center’s new campus, New York is helping create a first-of-its-kind model that brings together education, health care and support services in one location — expanding opportunity for students and families while strengthening the region’s long-term vitality.”

Monroe County Executive Adam Bello said, “The Mary Cariola Center is a lifeline for families, transforming lives every day through exceptional education and vital life-skills support for children and individuals with complex needs. Monroe County is grateful to Governor Kathy Hochul and Tom Golisano for their visionary investment in our community—this state-of-the-art facility will expand opportunity, strengthen families, and help ensure every child can reach their fullest potential.”

Town of Henrietta Supervisor Steve Schultz said, “I was very disappointed when the landmark Marketplace Mall shut down despite multiple incentive zoning efforts by the Town to save it. So, I am very elated that there will be a bright future for the facility. The opening of the Mary Cariola Center in the Mall, supported by a generous donation from Tom Golisano and state funding from Governor Kathy Hochul, along with the colocation of the University of Rochester’s future Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Institute, will bring new life to the former Mall and transform it into a state-of-the-art school for students with IDD and medical challenges and will have right next door, support, care and services for those students and others. We are pleased to be adding Mary Cariola to our community and very excited about the possibilities that this comprehensive, new facility will bring to the lives of those who need or can benefit from their services.”

About Mary Cariola Center
Founded in 1949, Mary Cariola Center provides educational and therapeutic services to children with complex disabilities, including intellectual and developmental challenges. Serving hundreds of students annually, the Center is committed to fostering independence, dignity, and inclusion. The agency employs more than 725 staff members, making it one of the top 50 employers in Rochester. Students come from 58 different school districts and 11 counties in the area. More than 40 individuals call Cariola home in the residential program. Cariola is an independent, non-profit agency.