The pale blue outside of 44 W. Catawissa St. in Nesquehoning does little to reflect the building’s playful interior.

Just behind the door, walls are covered in purple, pink, blue and green paint.

There are no furnishings yet, but imagine: A rock wall stands high at the back of the building. Parents are checking in at the front counter while, on the opposite side of the door, children drop their shoes and coats. They crawl through tunnels, climb ladders and swing from monkey bars.

And best of all, it’s accessible to all Carbon, Coaldale and Tamaqua kids who have sensory processing disorders, such as autism.

That’s Alicia Kline’s vision for Spectrum Sensory Gym, an extension of the partnership between Turn to Us, a nonprofit aimed at helping people with major or chronic illnesses, and St. Luke’s University Health Network.

When it opens, the gym will be the first and only one of its kind in Carbon and surrounding counties.

“As soon as this is built, we know it’s going to be packed,” Kline said.

Opening a sensory gym has always been a goal for Turn to Us — she added — one that seemed too lofty to take on.

Then, earlier this year, St. Luke’s offered up the 1,800-square-foot building in Nesquehoning, the former home of a network rehab center.

“Now, this dream can become a reality,” Kline said.

But there is one thing still standing in the way of the gym’s opening: an $80,000 sticker price.

“It’s a lot of money,” Kline said.

A safe space

A sensory gym isn’t like a normal play place. The bright and interactive equipment has a specific purpose. It develops proprioceptive (body awareness and movement) and vestibular (balance) skills.

“It really helps these kids feel more confident and comfortable in their own skin,” said Keri Markley, Turn to Us resource coordinator.

Markley added that unlike public playgrounds or Climb-a-Lots in the area, the Spectrum Gym will be a sort of haven, where children like her 6-year-old daughter Amelia — who has autism — can explore and play freely.

“There’s not going to be any judging eyes on you at all,” Markley said. “It’s a safe space.”

The steep price tag covers the gym’s design, the equipment’s manufacturing and its installation. Turn to Us is in the process of planning fundraisers to pay for construction, Kline said, and a GoFundMe for the gym, which can be accessed through the organization’s Facebook page, is currently collecting donations.

“We know that this county supports and believes in missions,” Kline said, “so we don’t think we’ll have too big of a struggle.”

Kline said she thinks the gym will be worth every penny — especially after experiencing Turn to Us’ annual track and field day, held last month. The event this year featured a few special guests: six athletes from the hit NBC show “American Ninja Warrior.”

As she watched kids confront the obstacle course set before them, becoming braver with each run, Kline said her drive to open the gym only grew.

“We need to accept and include everybody, but until the whole, entire world gets that point, this space is definitely needed,” she said.