A state advisory board Tuesday approved the construction of a new psychiatric hospital in Caro.
The facility will cost over five million dollars and is expected to replace the current state-run psychiatric hospital, which is 103 years old.
Angela Minicucci is with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. She said the building will serve as a replacement for the aging Caro hospital.
“It isn’t that we’re building anything new it’s to replace the existing site that we have and expand our capacity slightly to reach a wait list we have there. So we’re going from 150-bed capacity, meaning we can serve 150 individuals at the current site, to up to 200 with the new facility.”
Minicucci said the new building will provide a much-needed update.
“The types of structures that would be accommodating to psychiatric care in the early 1900’s are not suitable for treatment today. What we’re looking to do is improve how we deliver mental health services and address a bit of a waiting list that we have at the center there right now.”
Minicucci said this is one of two state-run facilities built in the last decade. It’s one of five state-run psychiatric hospitals in Michigan
Construction is slated to begin in early 2018 and finish in 2021.