Racine County leaders gathered Wednesday to tour a new behavioral health services building at 1720 Taylor Ave. in Racine, a facility meant to bring mental health and substance abuse care together in one place in the heart of the city.
The 50,000-square-foot building represents an investment of about $35 million. Federal money, American Rescue Plan Act funds, opioid settlement dollars and county bonding all helped pay for construction, and the interior was designed with natural light and a home-like feel meant to support recovery.
Inside is a 15-bed residential substance abuse program. Advocates say Racine County residents have until now had to leave the county for that level of care, and that needing to travel has kept some people from getting treatment and staying close to family support.
Pat Bohon of the National Alliance on Mental Health Racine County said the building gives people a single place to go for an immediate assessment, and called the investment a sign of a community willing to put serious resources behind these services.
The need behind the project is stark: the county says more than 335 Racine County residents have died from opioid use since 2020. Resident Catrina Sanchez, who described watching loved ones cycle through addiction and recovery, called the facility a step toward hope while remaining cautiously optimistic.
The public can see the building at an open house on Thursday, Oct. 29, from 3 to 6 p.m. The county expects the facility to start welcoming residents later this year.
