OKLAHOMA CITY – A new $42 million family justice center under construction in Oklahoma City will give Palomar, a nonprofit serving survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse, the space to more than double its capacity when it opens next spring.
For Kim Garrett-Funk, who founded Palomar nearly a decade ago, the three-story facility represents more than just a larger headquarters.
“I want a better world for our kids, our grandchildren; they deserve that,” she said. “To me, this is not a building. This is a movement.”
Oklahoma City voters agreed to fund the 73,000-square-foot project through a temporary one-cent sales tax in 2019. The city broke ground on the MAPS 4 building in May 2025.
“We are so thankful and appreciative of the city and the voters for supporting this movement and the message to survivors that you’re not alone and that things are going to change,” Garrett-Funk said. “We’re here walking with you, beside you, and we support you.”
Palomar provides free, confidential assistance to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, trafficking and other forms of abuse. Its navigators connect clients with services from on-site providers, including victim advocates, law enforcement, legal assistance, mental health professionals and substance abuse providers.
MAPS Program Manager David Todd said he hopes the new family justice center will allow Palomar to keep helping people who need support.
“We’re really excited to see it finish so they can do the things that they do,” he said.
The nonprofit reports serving more than 6,000 individual clients so far this year and more than 30,000 since its launch.
Oklahoma has consistently ranked among the states with the highest numbers of cases of women murdered by men in single-victim-single-offender incidents. The state recorded 87 domestic violence homicide victims in 2024, according to the latest annual report from the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board. The total is the lowest since 2017 and represents a 29% drop from the previous year, marking the end of five consecutive years with more than 100 victims.
The building includes a play area and sanctuary for children and teens. The space will be outfitted with comfortable spots to relax, a big slide and a climbing wall.Palomar’s new headquarters sits directly across the street from the building where it currently operates on Hudson Avenue in Midtown. The construction project towers over the former building and features balconies and large windows designed to help clients and employees feel at peace.
The building has three floors and includes private therapy rooms, a food pantry, acute medical services and a play area and sanctuary for children. It also includes co-working space for employees of Palomar’s 45 partner organizations like the Oklahoma City Police Department, YWCA and Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma.
The new building will also have a separate, secure entrance for forensic testing services, where victims can receive on-site medical exams after being sexually assaulted.
Garrett-Funk said she hopes the investment in services for abuse survivors will help improve Oklahoma’s domestic violence statistics.
“This is something the community and the state has been grappling with for decades. And we’re not going to solve it overnight, but we are getting there,” Garrett-Funk said. “We’re building an army of people to change our numbers, and we are moving in the right direction.”
