Tri-Cities leaders are set to approve extra $11M for recovery center improvements
Tri-Cities leaders are kicking in up to $11 million extra to enhance the future Columbia Valley Center for Recovery at the old Kennewick General Hospital.
Over the past few months Benton County and Franklin County commissioners have been working with staff to put together funding for a nearly $11 million package of “betterments” just as construction is set to kick off for the mental health and addiction recovery center.
The agreement allows the money to top out at $12 million, but the current estimated contributions are about $5.5 million from each county from their mental health sales tax funds.
Those funds will later be used to cover operations, but have accrued enough to help pay for the betterments.
The enhancements will allow the program to expand space for treatment and offer quality of life improvements that current funding doesn’t cover.
Benton County is set to vote on approving the agreement at the next regular commission meeting.
What will it pay for?
The list comes from recommendations by the Benton Franklin Behavioral Health Advisory Committee. The enhancements go beyond just the base scope of services, and the committee believes they’ll lead to improved treatment outcomes.
The biggest portion of the cost is $3.9 million for an on-site commercial kitchen.
With stays at the center ranging from 23 hours to several days, that could help cust costs and provide jobs and training for organizations like Opportunity Kitchen.
The next largest expense is a 5,000-square-foot expansion of the program area. They’ll also be using some money to add additional single rooms for residential treatment and crisis stabilization.
They’ll also add single client rooms for evaluation and detox programs. Current plans have most of the rooms at double occupancy.
Other enhancements include servicing the old hospital’s aging generators, a security system for the north wing of the building, an additional outdoor courtyard area and enhancing outdoor spaces with landscaping and improvements to the walls.
Construction begins soon
The regional behavioral health facility is on track to be ready for the contractor, Comprehensive Healthcare, at the end of next year.
The design portion is moving along, with an expected construction kick-off event likely in November.
The recovery center will total more than 50,000 square feet with the extra space included in the betterments. That’s still only about one-fourth of the space available at the 193,000-square-foot former KGH hospital.
Current cost estimates range from $23 million to $27 million. With the betterments, that cost will come to more than $35 million invested.
The funding for construction largely comes from Washington state and federal grants. The behavioral health sales tax allocation will pay for operations, which Comprehensive Healthcare will manage.
The county recently submitted a grant application that could add recovery housing for the second phase, using an extra 14,000 square feet to add 17 apartments for up to 35 people. That’s planned for phase 2, if the funding is approved.
The facility will be used for four main services, each with its own distinct area within the hospital:
- In-patient residential treatment
- Secure withdrawal
- 23-hour sobering services
- Crisis stabilization
The first phase of construction will see renovation of the newer areas of the hospital from the Spaulding Center entrance through the Trios Birthing Center area.
The betterments agreement will allow Franklin County to be paid back if Benton County, which owns the facility, ever decides to sell the recovery center.
Benton County agreed to pay for their portion at a July meeting and then moved forward with negotiations with Franklin County leaders.
