Pre-construction could begin by the end of the month on the Tri-Cities’ first public recovery center.
Benton County commissioners approved the first phase of their design-build contract with Bouten Construction during their regular meeting on Tuesday.
A groundbreaking ceremony is tentatively listed in the plans for mid-September.
The contract will cover up to $2.2 million of the first round of work for the Columbia Valley Center for Recovery at the old Kennewick General Hospital.
The total project is expected to cost $23 million to $27 million.
The county bought the 8-acre, 193,000-square-foot KGH campus in 2022 for $1.6 million.
Bouten also offered the county a look at potential future expansions to use more of the old hospital.
The 200-plus page packet submitted by Bouten included floor plans from NAC Architecture, as well as a number of other reports from various engineer and design subcontractors.
The packet also included a comprehensive review of aging and damaged systems at the hospital and what it will take to replace them. Much of the old hospital was severely damaged by vandals as it sat vacant for several years.
Making progress
“It just feels good because we’re making progress,” Commissioner Jerome Delvin told the Herald.
“We got the validation study done, now we’re going to work on the preliminary design and maybe some demolition,” he said. “That date doesn’t seem that far away for next year to have it completed and open.”
Delvin said his biggest hope is that law enforcement officers and emergency medical officials will be able to start taking using the recovery center as an alternative to having to arrest people who are in crisis.
“I think it’s going to make a big difference,” he said. “And I hope to see the first few months that the recovery center is being used by law enforcement and EMS services, that they’re able to start taking them there and not to the jail.”
Delvin said he also hopes community members will have a place to turn to for family members.
The plans call for the recovery center to be built in the newer portions of the building, from what was formerly the Spaulding Office entrance through the labor and delivery wing.
The older portions of the main floor, some dating back as far as the 1940s, and the second floor could potentially be used for other programs in the future, but won’t be renovated yet.
Bouten already inspected the facility to identify potential problem areas, largely because of the age and deterioration of the building.
The design and pre-construction will include costs for civil and structural engineering, landscape design and HVAC and electrical redesigns to isolate the portions of the building they intend to use.
Abatement and demolition is set to begin in late August, pending city of Kennewick permit approvals. If that stays on track, they hope to begin interior renovations by the middle of November and site improvements, such as landscaping, in March.
The projected completion date to have the building approved for occupancy, if there are not major setbacks, is December 2025.
Of the four options presented, that was the fastest and most cost-effective possible build at 19 months.
That compares to 21 months and $25.8 million to $33 million for the old Welch’s juice property that is no longer being considered and 26 months and $27.7 million to $35.4 million for whole new building.
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 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 facility will have a secure in-take area on the southwest side of the building with a sally port to allow ambulances and law enforcement to bring in patients. It also will have a separate public entrance.
There also will be a secure courtyard that can be used by any of the services, to allow patients to get fresh air.
The facility will serve both Benton and Franklin counties, but be owned by Benton County.
The project has been guided by the Benton Franklin Behavioral Health Advisory Committee, which is made up of community members, law enforcement, medical professionals, mental health experts and advocates from across the Tri-Cities.
Evaluation and treatment
The first stop at the recovery center will be the evaluation and treatment wing. This area is where medical and behavioral health personnel will meet with patients and assess their needs.
The area will have 16 beds, a quiet room, exam office, medication room and space for teleconferencing for healthcare providers and court visits.
After evaluation and intake, patients will then be moved to the appropriate setting. It will work hand in hand with the short-term treatment option, such as 23-hour observation.
23-hour observation
The least intensive level of care at the recovery center will be the 23-hour observation unit. This is also sometimes referred to as a sobering unit.
It has no beds and patients typically can leave any time. The primary purpose is to provide a place where patients can sober up and begin accessing services toward long-term sobriety.
Patients will be in a communal area with recliners.
Franklin County has been in discussion with Lourdes to stand up a sobering center in Pasco, but has so far been unable to come to agreement on costs and location.
Lourdes has proposed putting the services in a building they already lease, which will require no construction costs, but Franklin commissioners have pushed back over safety concerns because it would be across the street from the employee entrance to the courthouse.
They also have concerns over cost after estimated staffing needs came in higher than expected at about $1 million per year.
Crisis stabilization
The 16-bed crisis stabilization unit is where patients experiencing a mental health crisis or needing withdrawal management care will be treated. This unit is secure and is designed to help people who need active care and medication to help them through the crisis or severe withdrawal.
In addition to the beds, there will be space for medical providers, large group activities, medication and counselors and visitations.
There are four rooms with three beds each and two double bed rooms.
Stays will typically be less than five days.
The crisis stabilization portion of the service is at the center of a deed restriction put in place by former KGH owner Lifepoint Health, which owns both Lourdes and Trios. The county notes that they are continuing to work toward finding a solution to the issue.
Lifepoint has told the Herald that the issue is centered around duplication of services already available through Lourdes Counseling Center.
“Behavioral health is a complex specialty, and our hospitals are committed to expanding access to these services across the Tri-Cities region. We support efforts to build the Columbia Valley Center for Recovery for individuals with a primary diagnosis of substance use disorder — a service that is not offered currently by any healthcare providers within the immediate area,” a spokesperson for the company told the Herald.
“We realize that many in our community may not understand the breadth of services available at Lourdes Counseling Center, which has been the leading provider of behavioral health services in our region for the past 50 years,” the statement continued. “In the coming months, we look forward to building greater awareness and educating our community on the services provided by our team, while continuing to work with our partners at Benton and Franklin Counties to support new and complementary services — like the recovery center.”
Resident in-patient
The in-patient residential treatment unit will be used for patients who need care for more than 72-hours. It will allow the patient to get help stabilizing and started on new medication and treatment plans under medical care.
There will be 16 beds, small and large group rooms, a living room type area, dining room, quiet room, tele-health conferencing rooms, space for counselors and more.
The length of stay will depend on the patient’s initial assessment and their progress.
Bruneau building nixed
The $5 million Bruneau Avenue building Benton County bought at the old Welch’s juice plant was taken off the table earlier this year. The construction plan included an evaluation of the issues and potential barriers at both buildings, giving a clearer picture of why the county ultimately had to move away from the property.
The aging facility had issues ranging from abutting warehouses, lack of easem*nts needed for the entrance and no windows.
The lack of easem*nts would leave the county either having to ask neighboring owners for access or potentially having to buy their property. The report indicates the county did not consider either of those a good option.
The building also had limited space for future programs and could have potentially been disruptive to neighboring tenants, which include a warehouse that ships and receives wine from across the region, the Public Market at Columbia River Warehouse and Ice Harbor Brewery.
Future additions
Delvin said the Behavioral Health committee is currently fundraising for other areas at the center, which could include a library, workout room and space for families to visit.
Delvin encourages anyone who wants to get involved to contact the BHAC or county commissioners.
The committee also is beginning the process of determining how to raise money, including potentially naming portions of the facility after major donors.
In addition to the quality of life additions for patients, the old KGH building has plenty of room to go. While none of these services are set in stone, they are all needs the BHAC has identified in the community.
Other services included in the preliminary floor plans on the ground floor could eventually include day treatment for youth and adults, a full commercial kitchen, technical skills classroom, art therapy and library rooms, transitional housing, eating disorder treatment and intensive outpatient treatment.
The second floor could be used for more transitional housing, respite/diversion beds and youth inpatient and children’s long-term treatment. The second and third floor of the Spaulding offices will be set aside for future office use.
