LANSING (WWJ) – A $325 million psychiatric hospital is coming to Northville, part of what state officials call a "continued commitment to providing behavioral health services to Michigan families."
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and the Department of Technology, Management & Budget (DTMB) announced on Tuesday the facility is expected to open in 2026 at the current site of Hawthorn Center, 18471 Haggerty Road in Northville.
The facility will serve hundreds of children and adults, as it replaces the Hawthorn Center – an adolescent facility – and the Walter P. Reuther Psychiatric Hospital in Westland.
The two facilities serve nearly 200 patients and are among the state's five inpatient psychiatric hospitals for individuals who have severe mental illness or intellectual and developmental disabilities, according to the state.
The Hawthorn Center opened its doors in 1956, while Walter Reuther began operations in 1979. MDHHS officials say both need to be replaced due to aging infrastructure.
"We are excited to be able to provide Michigan families in need of inpatient, behavioral health care a new state-of-the-art hospital in southeastern Michigan," said MDHHS director Elizabeth Hertel, per a press release.
She says the updated facility will allow MDHHS to "continue providing quality, compassionate care to both children and adults."
The consolidation of the current hospitals will also "allow for efficiencies in administrative and support services while maintaining separate living and treatment facilities for adults and children."
The new facility will be built using $325 million allocated in the state's fiscal year 2023 budget from federal pandemic relief funds.
"The new facility is a perfect example of how the state is leveraging one-time resources for long-term strategic investments," said State Budget Director Christopher Harkins. "We are thoughtfully and deliberately building the new facility on the current Hawthorn Center site, which is a convenient location for staff and patient families, and sustains a relationship with the community of Northville, which has long been a partner to the State of Michigan. This project will provide benefits for years into the future."
