EDGEWATER — The results are in: A new DNA testing facility is opening Monday along the Edgewater/West Ridge border.
DNA Diagnostics Center, 6315 N. Ridge Ave., processes DNA samples for paternity tests (even if the mother is still pregnant) and immigration purposes, as well as kits for testing dog breeds or performing at-home tests.
The Ohio-based company has more than 5,000 locations across the world and is the DNA testing company of choice for daytime TV shows such as "Maury," "Dr. Phil," "Divorce Court," and "Judge Judy."
The diagnostics firm has processed over 3,000 tests in order to deliver uncertain potential parents Maury Povich's famous phrase, "you ARE/ARE NOT the father" for almost 20 years.
"Everybody always finds us that way it seems like," Chase Centeno, who will manage the site, said with a chuckle.
While the company does provide that service at its new Far North Side location, Centeno said the real need comes from the area's large immigrant population.
Centeno, who lives in Edgewater, said the company noticed a large influx of calls coming in from Chicago regarding immigration testing because some countries require family members prove they are related before approving immigration papers.
The company's call center "was like, 'We are getting so many calls from Chicago for immigration.' ... So the company said, 'Let's open our own location so we can service people,'" he said. "We were just excited to be in the neighborhood ... it's really nice because we have such a need for it."
Centeno said there were "a lot of variables" when it came to prices, but that paternity tests typically start at $399 ($189 for home tests) and begin at $699 for immigration testing. For pets, the standard price for most tests is $58 per DNA sample, according to the company's website.
The testing center will be open from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays or by appointment on Saturdays.
