Douglas County is postponing the groundbreaking ceremony that is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 30, due to the weather forecast. The county is under a winter weather advisory from 9 p.m. today until 10 p.m. Wednesday. According to the National Weather Service in Topeka, a wintry mix of precipitation and accumulating snow are expected across the area.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Treatment and Recovery Campus of Douglas County has been rescheduled for noon Friday, Nov. 8. The campus is located north of the Community Health Facility at 1000 W. Second Street.

The ceremony will mark the beginning of construction for two housing projects that will be located on the campus:

• Transitions. This housing, which will be a supportive living setting, will serve up to 12 clients of the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center. These clients will participate in programs designed to enhance their recovery and transition back into the community. The length of stay generally will be six to 12 months, but may vary depending on the client's stage of recovery.
• The Cottages. These are supportive housing apartments, for up to 10 clients, that are owned and operated by the Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority. Residents will be individuals who need wrap-around support services to stay stably housed and they will be referred by the Behavioral Health continuum partners.

The groundbreaking ceremony will include brief remarks by Douglas County Commission Chair Michelle Derusseau, Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center CEO Patrick Schmitz and Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority Executive Director Shannon Oury.

Treanor HL is the architect for the campus and housing projects and Mar Lan Construction is providing construction management services. Transitions and The Cottages are expected to be complete in fall 2020.

The estimated cost of the housing projects is $4.1 million and it will be funded through a variety of resources including the quarter-cent sales tax that was approved by voters in November 2018 to improve behavioral health services and facilities in Douglas County.

“I want to thank staff and all of the partners who have worked so hard on this project, which will provide safe and secure housing for people with mental illness and substance use disorders in Douglas County. It has been a huge undertaking and I’m very grateful for everyone’s commitment to improving access to care in our community,” Derusseau said. “We especially want to thank the voters of Douglas County for making this project a reality.”