The detox facility is aimed at replacing the Harbor, a 16-bed facility that closed in 2021 — at the time, it was the only place in the region that served under- or un-insured patients.
The new facility will be called the New Hanover County stabilization and re-entry center, and it’ll have 16 medical detox beds and 20 transitional housing beds east of Greenfield Lake.
New Hanover County Commission voted unanimously Monday morning to award a construction contract to Thompson Construction Group. The new facility requires extensive renovation, but will ultimately stay in the same building footprint. The total project cost is $7.7 million.
Funding came from a $3.7 million OSBM Grant from the state, $1.65 million from the county’s general fund, $1.5 million from Trillium, and $900,000 from the nonprofit Linc Inc., which will manage the facility once it opens alongside RHA health Services.
County Commissioner Jonathan Barfield applauded staff for their work, and gave a shout out to Wilmington City Council.
"I'm so thankful that the City Council approved the rezoning of the property and that we're going down the road, that we're going now and eventually, lives will continue to be saved there, recognizing with the harbor closed down and left a tremendous void for a detox facility in our community,” he said.
Construction will start next month, and the facility should be complete by October of next year, with the grand opening coming sometime in early 2026.
