Sen. George Lang, R-West Chester, sits on the controlling board and told this outlet that “there’s definitely a need for more of those facilities, not fewer.”
“Right now, the private sector can’t meet the demand so I believe that we need to do our part to help,” Lang said.
Monday’s approval all but confirms the site as the future home of the Miami Valley Behavioral Healthcare Hospital, which is set to become the seventh hospital of the sort in the state’s system. It’ll increase the state’s capacity for inpatient mental health treatment by about 208 beds, the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health expects.
The state has told local officials that it plans to have the hospital complete by 2030, Harrison Twp. Communications Director Nathan Edwards told this outlet. Initial state estimates for the total cost of the project released last year put it around $273 million.
The project has drawn contrasting reactions from local officials. While officials in Trotwood bemoaned the possibility of a state-run behavioral health center in an area the city sees as a prime mixed-use development opportunity, officials in Harrison Twp. have been vocally supportive of the state’s plans.
Shannon Meadows, the Harrison Twp. administrator, told this outlet Monday that she views the state’s plans on the long-vacant site as a “catalyst” for further development.
“We believe that the development of the behavioral health hospital will not only significantly add to the job market in this region, but then will allow for the development of commercial, retail and residential developments in the surrounding area, which is absolutely critical for Harrison Twp. and our neighboring jurisdiction,” she said.
Trotwood officials did not respond to a request for comment, but the city announced Monday they are planning two public town hall meetings about the project. There are two dates: Wednesday, Nov. 12, at 2:30 p.m., and Tuesday, Nov. 18, at 6:30 p.m. Both will be held at the Trotwood Community and Cultural Arts Center, 4000 Lake Center Drive.
While some Harrison Twp. residents have voiced concerns with a state-run mental health hospital, Meadows said she’s been “very pleased” with the ensuing conversations between residents, local officials, and the state.
“At the end of the day, those who have engaged with us have felt better,” Meadows said. “They’re more reassured, they understand the necessity for behavioral health care throughout the state of Ohio, they understand the regional model of behavioral health hospitals that are owned and operated by the state of Ohio. They also understand the large economic influence that such a hospital will have.”
That’s not to say all Harrison Twp. residents fully support the plan. “Will there still be people who say, ‘Not in my backyard?’” Meadows said. “There always will be.”
Lang told this outlet that he can empathize with some folks’ general dissent for a plan that brings a state-run mental health hospital to their area, but that he was eased by the state’s plans to incorporate green space and “buffers” on the premises “to offer adequate protections for their neighbors.”
“One-hundred-thirty-three acres is a big footprint for the hospital, and I’m very comfortable with the buffer that’s going to be put in at this facility,” Lang said.
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Avery Kreemer can be reached at 614-981-1422, on X, via email, or you can drop him a comment/tip with the survey below.