November 29, 2011 -- On Thursday, December 15, the public is invited to an open house from 4-6 p.m. at Central City Concern’s new healthcare facility located at 33 NW Broadway. The event celebrates the integration of primary healthcare with behavioral care under one roof. Guided and self-directed tours will be available.
The new building will be home for Central City Concern’s Old Town Recovery Center, (previously the 12th Avenue Recovery Center) that serves more than 600 mentally ill people yearly. Central City Concern assumed operations of the 12th Avenue Recovery Center in December 2008; the program was previously located at SW Stark and 12th Avenue.
Also as a result of the new building, the expanded space will allow Central City Concern’s adjoining Old Town Clinic to serve an additional 1,350 patients, bringing the estimated yearly total of patients to nearly 4,000. The new building will accommodate more than 80,000 patient visits per year via the two programs. Central City Concern has operated the Old Town Clinic since 2001.
“We are very pleased to bring these two great programs together in one location,” said Ed Blackburn, Executive Director of Central City Concern. “Very often, homeless individuals have complex health issues that include mental illness. With the ability to address their total needs in one location, we’re able to give them better access and better outcomes for overall health and chance for success in their lives.”
The 44,000-square-feet building features offices, exam rooms, counseling rooms, nursing stations, community areas and an interior atrium. It is expected to earn a LEED Gold Certification. SERA Architects designed the building and Walsh Construction was general contractor.
The project was made possible by an initial $8.95 million investment federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) Facility Investment Program (FIP) grant administered through Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA). Additional funder is Wells Fargo Bank via bonds and new market tax credit equity financing. The project has generated approximately 300 jobs in the Portland economy. Together, the two Central City Concern programs employ 130 CCC staff.
Central City Concern’s mission is providing comprehensive solutions to ending homelessness and achieving self-sufficiency. It serves approximately 13,000 people yearly with healthcare, housing and employment.
