Nov. 30--Construction of the Owensboro Regional Recovery men's substance abuse rehabilitation center on Veach Road was never fast-tracked, but local supporters hoped it would be done sooner rather than later.

They got their wish.

"In December of 2008 we were all saying it would take 15 months to build," Richard Murphy said. "But we exhorted them (Phillips Development officials) to build it in a year, and lo and behold, they've done it."

The building is essentially finished. Construction workers from Phillips Development Corp. of Little Rock, Ark., the general contractor on the project, are going through the 30,000-square foot building, fixing punch list items, but other than that, the facility designed to house and treat 100 men is ready for occupancy.

By the end of January or early February, the center expects to open its doors to its first group of residents, said Murphy, who is chairman of the board of Lighthouse Recovery Services, one of the partners in the project.

Construction of the $4.3 million, 100-bed facility began in April at 4301 Veach Road, just south of Higdon Road and adjacent to the U.S. 60 bypass. The two-story facility sits on a 6.99-acre tract that features a pair of flood-retention basins. The center has two connected sections, with the larger section housing living quarters for men seeking treatment for chemical addictions. A 1,600-foot privacy fence was built between the center and homes on Higdon Road.

"It is excellent, breathtaking," said Murphy of the building. "It's a dream come true. It's got in it what we need to work with 100 men."

The program at Owensboro Regional Recovery will be modeled on The Healing Place in Louisville to help residents move from a life of dependency on chemicals to a drug-free lifestyle with peer support and a focus on personal accountability. An individual coming into the program typically stays nine to 12 months, Murphy said.

The Owensboro center is one of 10 proposed as part of former Gov. Ernie Fletcher's Recovery Kentucky initiative and carried forward by Gov. Steve Beshear's administration to help people struggling with chemical addictions and homelessness. The Owensboro center will be the ninth to come online, Murphy said. Audubon Area Community Services, Lighthouse Recovery Services and National City Bank are the partners in the project.

Up to one-half of the residents of the center will be Kentucky Department of Corrections nonviolent inmates incarcerated on drug-related convictions, Murphy said. The center will be overseen by Lighthouse Recovery Services and Audubon Area Community Services, which became a full partner in the facility's operation in 2008. Audubon Area will assist with the financial logistics of running the center and provide guidance in establishing counseling at the center.

The center's director has been hired and is already at work. She is Henderson native Sarah Adkins, who left a job with the Georgia Department of Corrections to run the Owensboro facility. Several other staff members will be hired soon, Murphy said. They include a food service director, program coordinator and a nurse.

The project's budget includes money for furniture, fixtures and equipment, but project sponsors are working on a room sponsorship program to allow churches, organizations and individuals to donate money to outfit each room with sheets, blankets, towels and other items. Names of room sponsors will be placed on a small plaque by each door.

"It's very important for the community to have a sense of being joined in the effort," Murphy said.

Details of the room sponsorship program haven't been all worked out, but sponsoring a room will probably require a donation of $300 to $500, Murphy said.

Steve Vied, 691-7297, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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