City money will help upgrade facilities

The city of Columbus plans to award $566,946 in capital money to help social service agencies restore and improve addiction treatment centers and homeless shelters.

Maryhaven would receive $158,000 of that for interior improvements, including the renovation of the admissions area and kitchen at its facility at 1791 Alum Creek Drive.

Four agencies of the Community Shelter Board would receive a total of about $400,000 to repair and upgrade emergency shelters for single adults and families with children,

including heating and cooling systems, new floors, playground fencing and childcare facilities. Agencies receiving money include the YMCA of Central Ohio’s Van Buren Shelter, Faith Mission, the YMCA Family Center and the Southeast Men’s Shelter.

The city money would come from capital improvement bond funds for emergency shelter repair. Normally the city has about $350,000 to spend, but

it has extra capacity this year to award more, said Kim Stands, human services coordinator for the Columbus Department of Development. That means more money for shelter repairs than usual, said Sara Loken, spokeswoman for the Community Shelter Board.

Legislation allocating the money is to go before the Columbus City Council for a vote at its Nov. 20 meeting.

Meanwhile, Maryhaven plans on opening a 55-bed addiction-treatment center on the South Side by early December. It was supposed to be ready by this month, but the agency had some permit issues with the city, said Michele Mitchell, Maryhaven’s community relations manager.

The center’s triage, detox and other treatment areas will operate on two floors in the Select Specialty Hospital building at 1430 S. High St.

The Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Board of Franklin County announced earlier this year that it was investing $7 million to create an Addiction Stabilization Center for people who overdose on heroin and other opioids.