The Spokane City Council unanimously voted to approve $500,000 to redevelop the old Hillyard Library building into a behavioral health center.
Michael Cathcart, the city councilman who represents Northeast Spokane, says the project, which will be adjacent to the new Shaw Middle School and new Hillyard library, is needed.
“You know, us contributing this modest $500,000 relative to the overall project cost is a great investment for us, it's going to support a lot of Northeast families, youth," he said. "The proximity to Shaw is really helpful. There's around 86% of those who attend Shaw that are economically disadvantaged, and this mental health, behavioral health center, is going to be something that's going to really benefit access those folks.”
The behavioral health center will be operated by MultiCare, which has already pledged $450,000 dollars to the project, and has said it will accept low-income patients. The remainder of the funds will be supplied by the Northeast Community Center, and the Washington State Legislature. The project behavioral health center is scheduled to open sometime next year.