MOBILE, Ala.—The University of South Alabama Thursday named one of its new buildings after Spanish Fort resident and Daphne real estate developer Allen Cox.

The building—at 205 Lambert Ave., adjacent to the University of South Alabama Children’s and Women’s Hospital—was built to meet children’s healthcare demands.

The Allen Cox Children’s Agencies Building houses four area nonprofit agencies, including the Arthritis Foundation, Autism Society of Alabama, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and March of Dimes.

“I realized that the smaller agencies didn’t get federal funding,” Cox said of why he decided to begin the project. “The empathy factor is so big with any child that is sick.

“The building will also have the agencies close to the hospital.”

The 4,000-square-foot project cost $600,000. Cox donated $230,000; USA had the land and more than 40 helped fund the remaining costs.

“It means a lot that we have a better link to resources here,” Jennifer Robertson, information referral coordinator for the Autism Society of Alabama, said.

“It’s marvelous,” Ann Coffee, development director of the Gulf Coast region for the Arthritis Foundation, said. “We’re all here working to the same goal.

“I love to see nonprofits work together. It means a lot to us all to be in the facility.”

USA President Gordon Moulton was at the ceremony to dedicate the building to Cox.

“It’s a great facility to complement the Children’s and Women’s Hospital,” Moulton said. “By providing the agencies a convenient and close proximity to the hospital they can work more easily.

“It makes life better for everybody.”

With an ailing economy,  the March of Dimes said the building couldn’t have come at a better time.

“It’s helping our budget so much,” Catherine North, with the March of Dimes, said. “It’s so centrally located to the hospitals and gives us plenty of resources.”

But it’s more than just a place to come to work; “it’s a home for us,” Tonya Naughton, with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, said. “It means hope.

“We used to have to talk to families on how to find donated space.”

Cox said when he heard the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation was working out of the back of a dental office, he knew he wanted to step in to help.

“It’s empathy and information that these agencies give and those are the most important,” Cox said.

The building dedicated Thursday is only the most recent gift Cox has given to USA. He has donated a sculpture to the children’s park at the hospital; the Cox family has a neonatal nursing scholarship they endowed at the university’s College of Nursing; and the family has made multiple donations to the Mitchell Cancer Institute.

The donation of the building is part of Campaign USA, which began in 2006 and has since raised more than $76.3 million. Campaign USA is the first comprehensive funding campaign at USA, according to a spokesperson who said it helps raise funds for programs, construction, students and faculty and comprises national, local and business civic leaders, many of whom are alumni.