Wellbridge Addiction center seeks temporary CO for ‘soft opening’ this spring
The Wellbridge Addiction Treatment and Research Center in Calverton is now expected to have a “soft opening” in May or June, according to Andrew Drazan, Wellbridge’s CEO and co-founder.
The project is more than nine years in the planning stages and is expected to provide both treatment and research on substance use disorders, according to Mr. Drazan.
He said the building is now finished.
One potential hold-up for the project is that the roads have not been accepted into the Town Highway system, as was required in the original approval resolution in 2018.
The roads were to be part of the Engel Burman’s Calverton Camelot II subdivision in 2007. Councilwoman Jodi Giglio said the town is holding a $1 million bond that won’t be returned to Engel Burman until the roads are accepted into the highway system, which requires they meet town standards.
Jeff Murphree, the town’s building and planning administrator, said the town is recommending amending the approval resolution to allow Wellbridge to open with a temporary certificate of occupancy.
The town has submitted a punch list of things Wellbridge needs to do before the roads can be accepted.
“There’s no way they can complete this punch list before they are ready to open,” he said.
Northwell Health, the parent company of Peconic Bay Medical Center, is a partner in Wellbridge, as is Engel Burman Group.
Board members voiced support for the project. A formal vote is expected at Tuesday’s Town Board meeting.
Wellbridge proposes to have 130 beds for research program participants, who will participate in short-term on-campus research trials and treatment protocols, according to the town application.
The $95 million facility consists of six buildings having a combined floor area of 133,917 square feet, along with a fitness center building, a short-term stay building, and an auditorium available for public use, among other amenities.
It is located on the eastern portion of the Enterprise Park at Calverton, on land that is owned by Engel Burman.
Mr. Drazan had said last June during a tour of the facility as construction continued that the goal was for it to open by November 2019. A groundbreaking was held in October 2018.
