(The Center Square) – The King County Council is set to approve the purchase of a new facility site for its Crisis Care Center network in Seattle’s First Hill neighborhood.
The King County Council has until Sept. 13 to act on the purchase and sale agreement of the site. If approved, the purchase would close by the end of December, with the center expected to open by the end of 2027.
The expansion is funded by a $1.3 billion property tax levy voters approved in 2023. Plans call for a total of five crisis centers the county is building to expand its mental health system.
The King County Crisis Care Center levy will cost property owners 15 cents per $1,000 assessed value. An average valued King County home of $867,675 pays approximately $130 a year toward the levy.
The King County Council will vote to approve the allocation of approximately $23.8 million in crisis care center levy dollars toward the facility. Total acquisition costs for the county total $41.57 million.
The Crisis Care Center network is a response to a significant increase in demand for behavioral health and substance use services, especially amid the ongoing fentanyl crisis.
According to data from the King County Medical Examiner’s Office, there have been 590 confirmed opioid overdose deaths as of Thursday, with 481 involving fentanyl.
“This Crisis Care Center will serve as a remedy for suffering and disorder we too frequently see on our streets – it means more effective treatment to help people recover,” Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said in a statement.
Harrell wrote a letter of conditional support for the proposed site to King County Executive Shannon Braddock.
The centers provide immediate help, connections to ongoing care, and a stable place to recover for anyone regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.
The planned facility in Seattle’s First Hill neighborhood would serve residents of the county’s central area. According to a press release, first responders and medical professionals said the location will relieve the current strain on emergency rooms and help them do their jobs.
The building was previously owned by Polyclinic and has the medical infrastructure needed to speed up opening to 2027.
King County established its first center last year with Connections Kirkland, serving North King County communities. The facility was funded with $21.52 million in grants from Washington and King counties.
The acquisition is scheduled to be placed on the King County Budget and Fiscal Management Committee’s Aug. 19 agenda.
