American Reproductive Centers share plans to reopen, rebuild in a year

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) -- The American Reproductive Centers, the fertility clinic targeted in the Palm Springs terrorist attack, are now demolishing their old office and preparing for a new beginning.

Dr. Maher Abdallah, the clinic's founder and chief doctor, says the rebuild will cost $17 million, not including the cost of new equipment.

While they did receive some insurance coverage, Dr. Abdallah says it's only a fraction of that cost.

It's why the $500,000 secured by Assemblyman Greg Wallis from the California state budget, comes at a perfect time.

"It's a major change because we're so used to lots of space in our buildings. Our own surgery center, IVF lab, andrology lab. It's a smaller operation now,"

Dr. Abdallah says the clinic is quickly outgrowing it's temporary home, across the street at the El Mirador Plaza. He estimates they're working with a fifth of the space they're used to, and it's limiting their procedures.

Now, Dr. Abdallah says he's eager to rebuild ARC, with plans to finish construction and reopen the new offices by May 2026.

"It will be the same as our last office, but it will be one building instead of two and it will have two stories. It will be better protected too. We'll have higher walls and armed guards at all time."

It's a new, safer home, where he says ARC and it's embryos will not just survive, but also thrive.

Following up on several embryos that reached blastocyst and fully developed despite the bombing, Dr. Abdallah told News Channel: "The patients that had active, embryos, they continued division. They became perfect blastocysts, and they're genetically normal. Now we're preparing for a surrogacy for that couple. I guarantee 99% those embryos will turn into a pregnancy."