Maryland-based group signs lease with St. John Properties, Inc. for 17,040 square feet of space at 4714 Arcadia Drive and plans to open in fall 2023 with 80 employees

FREDERICK, MD – Verbal Beginnings, LLC. a Maryland-based company that provides applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy to children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), has signed a lease with St. John Properties, Inc. for 17,040 square feet of space at Arcadia Business Park, a 61-acre business community in Frederick, Maryland. This fall, the group will open its sixth location in the state within 4714 Arcadia Drive, a single-story building containing 32,040 square feet of flex/R&D space. Approximately 80 employees, most of which will be clinical technicians, will work from the facility. Danny Foit, Leasing Representative for St. John Properties represented the landlord and Dan Kleuger of The Tenant Agency represented the client in this transaction.

Headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, Verbal Beginnings offers tailored therapy for children ages 2 to 18 to achieve the next level of personal independence, including center-based early intervention services, diagnostic services, in-home therapy, feeding therapy, and social skills groups. This represents the first Frederick-area brick-and-mortar location for the group which currently offers in-home services in Frederick, as well as across the state of Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington, D.C. The company, which strives to maintain a clinician to child ratio of 1 to 1, currently serves more than 600 families with its approximately 650 employees. This lease represents the second Verbal Beginnings location in St. John Properties’ portfolio. In 2021 the group opened a nearly 10,000 square foot location within I-97 Business Park in Millersville, Maryland.

“The need for comprehensive therapy services helping individuals on the autism spectrum has never been greater and, in some cases, the wait to receive a diagnosis can be up to two years,” explained Verbal Beginnings co-founder and co-CEO Diana Wolf. “As with most medical conditions, early intervention is key and can significantly alter the path of the outcome. To illustrate the environment we are operating in, approximately one in 36 children in the United States has been identified with ASD.”

Wolf explains that each Verbal Beginnings facility is designed with bright and engaging colors, child-sized furniture, interactive displays, as well as its own fun theme to help remove the stigma of a cold and intimidating medical office. Kids are always placed in small groups or work one-on-one with a clinical technician, and the overall goal is to provide a safe and nurturing atmosphere.

“We realize that no two children on the autism spectrum exhibit the same personality characteristics or respond to therapy in the same manner, so it is extremely important to tailor therapy programs to suit the individual,” said co-founder and co-CEO Nick Chappell. “This is especially true as it relates to communication and social skills, and some kids may have food challenges. Our clinicians are trained to identify each child’s specific needs and implement customized treatment plans that lead to the most successful outcomes.”

“Arcadia Business Park emerged as the ideal location for our first Frederick facility based on its proximity to major highways and the flexibility of the space, which will allow us to properly execute our build-out mix of classrooms, office space, and recreational areas,” Chappell explained. “Verbal Beginnings has been working with Frederick-area families for many years, and this facility will create a brick-and-mortar option for those that need it, as well as enable us to significantly extend our program in this growing area.”

Arcadia Business Park is located at MD Route 85 (Buckeystown Pike) and Arcadia Drive. The business community currently features four single-story flex/R&D buildings totaling approximately 160,000 square feet of space in addition to two high-bay warehouse buildings comprising approximately 240,000 square feet. St. John Properties recently delivered 4754 Arcadia Drive, featuring more than 125,000 square feet of warehouse space.  

The business community is positioned within proximity to major highways including Interstates 270 and 70, US 15 and MD Route 355 that provide immediate access to points throughout Frederick, the suburbs of Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, as well as Northern Virginia. Loudoun County, Virginia and Montgomery County, Maryland are located 10 miles away.  

“Verbal Beginnings is filling an important need in the Frederick community, and the space at Arcadia Business Park provides them with the opportunity to make a significant difference for considerably more families in the region, provide employment for training professionals, and to extend their brand,” stated Matt Holbrook, Regional Partner, Virginia, and Central Maryland for St. John Properties.

Founded in 1971, St. John Properties, Inc. is one of the nation’s largest and most successful privately held commercial real estate firms. The company is distinguished by its commitment to customer service, achievements in green building, and top-rated workplace culture. Throughout St. John Properties’ 52-year history, the company has developed more than 23 million square feet of flex/R&D, office, retail, warehouse space and has investments in over 3,000 residential units. The company proudly serves more than 2,500 clients in Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Utah, and Wisconsin. For more information about the company, visit www.sjpi.com.

Verbal Beginnings is a family-focused network of professionals providing exceptional comprehensive autism services to families across the Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Washington, D.C., and the NoVA region. As an ACQ and BHCOE-accredited provider of ABA Therapy, Verbal Beginnings is owned and operated by two Board-Certified Behavior Analysts committed to quality assurance and data-driven results throughout the organization. Services include early intervention, feeding therapy, social skills development, in-home and center services, Speech and Language Pathology, Occupational Therapy and more. For more information about the company, visit www.verbalbeginnings.com