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Partners Crystal Pilat and Nikole Bush spent weeks cleaning and rehabilitating 31 Loop Road, the former All-American Mart convenience store, before opening the center there earlier this month. Its official opening will take place at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, September 29 and will feature the restoration of the new neighbor Octane Social House.

The market closed shortly after a brawl in May that drew a heavy police presence, making headlines in central New York City.

In an interview with The Citizen on Monday, Pilat and Bush said they wanted to reclaim space after this moment of infamy.

“We did something that the community can be very proud of, it’s here,” said Pilat. “We walked in there and said, ‘We’re going to improve this community. “”

A registered nurse and certified life coach who works as a supervising nurse at Auburn Community Hospital, Pilat opened Crystal Clear at a local barber shop in 2017. He then became a part of Serenity Wellness on Seymour Street. After a few years, however, Pilat decided to open his own coaching center and teamed up with Bush, who works as EMT at Throop.

She and Pilat felt that there were not enough welfare services in the area, they said, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects continue to exacerbate problems of Mental Health. Although the center is aimed at all ages, they also want to emphasize its services for young people facing the stress of distance learning, limited extracurricular life and more.

“We want to give them a place to go where they feel most comfortable. They need a little more help these days, and sometimes they just aren’t comfortable talking to moms. or to dads, ”Pilat said.

“We want to help them regulate their emotions,” Bush added. “Grow up to be emotionally stable and have emotional intelligence.”

Services available at Crystal Clear include yoga, reiki, massage therapy, meditation, weight loss, and sekhem, a spiritual healing practice that originated in Egypt. The staff consists of accredited experts in these fields, as well as in the fields of psychology, life coaching and nutrition. Pilat will also supervise students preparing to become licensed or licensed practical nurses at the center.

These services will be available individually and in groups, continued Pilat, and suggested on the basis of an admission form.

“We decide which services will help them best and set them up to meet with practitioners with whom they resonate the most,” she said. “In a more relaxed setting than a doctor’s office.”

Crystal Clear also has a store that is open during its regular hours. It offers wellness products, including baskets that can be collected or delivered as gifts, and local products such as clothing from the Auburn Ambellished company. Pilat and Bush are happy to be a part of the downtown community and hope their central and walkable location removes another barrier for those in need of help.

“There isn’t a single person who can come here and say ‘it’s not for me’,” said Pilat. “We will take care of anyone who needs help.”