By Henry Culvyhouse | The Daily Independent
RUSSELL Addiction Recovery Care announced Wednesday that it has closed on the purchase of a portion of Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital, less than a week after the Greenup County Joint Planning Commission gave the nod on a subdivision proposal.
ARC, which proposed plans to move into the former hospital, announced its plans in 2021. According to a news release sent out by ARC, the drug rehabilitation center will be partially opened by late 2023/early 2024, with renovations beginning before the end of March.
Tim Robinson, founder and CEO of ARC, called the purchase “an exciting milestone” for the chain of rehabs. ARC currently operates 30 programs within 21 counties in eastern and central Kentucky.
“We are thankful for the tremendous support we’ve received from state and local officials to bring this project to fruition and look forward to making a positive difference in Greenup County and surrounding areas,” Robinson wrote in a news release.
Gov. Andy Beshear said he was “grateful to Tim Robinson and all of ARC for their commitment to turning the closing of Bellefonte Hospital into a new opportunity for enhanced care.”
The closure of Bellefonte Hospital, right before COVID-19 began spreading across the country, was a punch to the gut for northeastern Kentucky, resulting in the loss of hundreds of jobs.
Rep. Danny Bentley, a staunch supporter in fighting the opioid epidemic, called the Wednesday “a historic day for our community.”
“Not only will this facility provide Kentuckians a second chance to build a life, but it will also write another chapter in the Bellefonte Hospital legacy,” Bentley said.
Congressman Hal Rogers, who represents the district where ARC is headquartered, said ARC is “taking treatment to the next level in Kentucky.”
“This new facility will provide hope to individuals and families who may have otherwise given up on recovery and support close to home,” Rogers said.
Russell City Council Member Vincenzo Fressola, who has voiced skepticism around ARC coming to Russell, said he’s taken a cautiously optimistic view on the development.
“I’m trying to be optimistic, but to me the ball is in their court to be good neighbors,” he said. “I was skeptical after the meeting they had because more and more details came out that their clients will be getting passes to go off the property and they’ll be getting jobs in the community.”
Added Fressola: “We shall see how this will affect local businesses, the police department and our residents.”
Desmond Barrett, director of the Community Kitchen, is on the front lines of working with folks struggling with addiction. Barrett said while “overall, it’s a good thing for a community to provide resources to those struggling with addiction,” he hopes ARC will help local non-profits provide “wraparound services” to those who either graduate the program or leave the program prematurely.
“I hope they’ll be backing up their expansion with resources to local agencies who can help get these people back on their feet,” Barrett said. “We need to make sure there’s a pipeline of services for those who either term out or drop out of the program.”
Barrett also said he’s concerned about the potential for an influx of folks coming from outside of the area to receive services.
“We don’t know yet if they’ll be primarily servicing people from the FIVCO area or bringing people from outside,” Barrett said. “If they’re bringing people from outside, we’ll need more resources to accommodate them.”