Campus Expansion and San Jose’s First Magical Bridge Playground Bring New Hope for Autism Community
SAN JOSE, CA, UNITED STATES, July 28, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — On July 30, Morgan Autism Center (MAC), the Bay Area’s premier provider of specialized programs for individuals with profound autism and developmental disabilities, will announce a major new property acquisition and ambitious campus expansion to meet surging demand. In the nine years since opening its current campus, regional autism rates have doubled, leaving MAC out of space to serve its growing community.
“Every day, we watch our students grow in ways that inspire us, and at the same time, we feel the limits of our current space,” says MAC Executive Director Josh Drake. “With an estimated 1 in 34 children diagnosed with autism, the expansion will increase our capacity, create intentional learning and program spaces, and support future enrollment across both school and adult programs.”
What sets this expansion apart is MAC’s partnership with the world-renowned Magical Bridge Foundation—leaders in innovative, sensory-friendly parks—which will bring their first inclusive playground to San Jose. Together, they will transform the new campus with a range of universally accessible, therapeutic spaces and build a 31,000-square-foot elevated park on its current campus.
“Magical Bridge is honored to design Morgan Autism Center’s outdoor campus to meet the unique physical, social, and sensory needs of the autistic community,” says Olenka Villarreal, Founder and CEO of Magical Bridge Foundation. “It will be the first of its kind in San Jose and among the first in the nation. The work Morgan Autism Center does for so many families is nothing short of magical, and we hope the community comes together to bring this visionary campus to life.”
Morgan Autism Center has served the Bay Area’s profoundly autistic community since 1969, moving to its current location, the former St. Elizabeth’s Day School, in 2017.
A diverse group of individuals travels from Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Francisco, and Alameda counties to attend either the school, which serves students aged 5 to 21, or its adult program for those aged 22 and older. Although the facility has been renovated, its size has remained unchanged while the regional population of individuals with autism has doubled, leaving MAC in dire need of additional space to accommodate this growing need.
MAC currently serves 65 students from 24 different school districts through its school program and 56 adults in its Adult Program, with its oldest client being 66 years old.
In acquiring the 1.86 acre property just across the street at 1470 McKinley Avenue, MAC takes the first step in an expansion plan it has dubbed “Dream Campus 2.0.” According to Drake, the new construction and upgrades to the space will enable the MAC campus to “match the excellence of our programming and be a model for others in how best to meet the needs of individuals with significant autism.” The expansion will include four state-of-the-art school spaces and a dedicated Adult Program facility.
“I’ve been proud to work closely with Morgan Autism Center, and it’s exciting to celebrate this next chapter alongside them,” says San Jose’s District 9 City Councilmember Michael Mulcahy. “Dream Campus 2.0 is a meaningful investment in the future of autistic individuals and their families, and I’m grateful for Morgan Autism Center’s continued leadership in building a more inclusive San José.”
The media is invited to attend the kick-off celebration.
WHEN: Thursday, July 30, 2026
5:30-7:30 pm
WHERE: 1470 McKinley Ave.
San Jose, CA 95126
AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS:
Josh Drake, MAC Executive Director
Olenka Villarreal, Founder and CEO, Magical Bridge Foundation
Michael Mulcahy, San Jose City Council Member, District 6
Paula Silver, parent (speaks English and Spanish)
VISUALS:
Design displays in designated tour rooms
Vision 2030 and Dream Campus 2.0 Presentation with Speakers
Clients, students, parents, supporters, staff, teachers of Morgan Autism Center
Pam Kelly
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Morgan Autism Center’s Vision 2030 and Dream Campus 2.0
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