Oklahoma City, Oklah. — A private $3 million donation is expected to help expand Oklahoma City’s new mental health crisis center, potentially doubling its bed capacity as the city prepares to seek construction bids.
The MAPS 4 Citizens Advisory Board approved the donation today after it was brought back for updated language. “I talked with the donor. We changed a little bit of information and rather than sending it on, I thought it was right that we brought it back to the sub committee, but it was really just a housekeeping thing,” said David Todd, MAPS program manager.
MAPS 4 has allocated more than $9.4 million ($9,456,100) for the project.
Construction for the 16-bed Robert Ravitz Crisis Center is estimated at more than $11 million ($11,092,669).
The donation from the Arnall Family Foundation is intended to help build a new mental health center at the site of the old facility at 1200 NE 13th St. “We still have to take bids, but they stepped in and helped us obtain our goal,” Todd said.
Plans call for a more than 29,000-square-foot facility that could increase capacity from 16 beds to 32.
The donation comes with binding conditions, including that the city increase the construction budget by more than $440,000, design the facility to fit at least 32 beds, and commit to using the building for mental health services for the next half-century.
Todd said the donation includes $2 million, plus an additional $1 million tied to an alternate as bids are awarded. “There’s 2 million and there’s an additional million that can be used as we award the alternate. So, really it’s a matter of waiting till we see how the bids come in and see how it shakes out,” he said.
If the city fails to complete the project or violates the agreement, the foundation could demand its money back. “I think there’s an ongoing need for mental health help, and we’re just trying to help in that manner,” Todd said.
The Oklahoma Crisis Intervention Center moved to 2625 General Pershing Blvd. in 2013.
An operator said the 1200 NE 13th St. location is closed, but the inside lights were still on.
Construction is slated to begin mid-summer and is expected to take 16 months.