The Hitchcock Center for Women broke ground on a major expansion Friday.
The addiction recovery center, which overlooks the cultural gardens just north of Superior Avenue, is building a $28 million residential treatment annex that will include federally subsidized housing.
This project was a long time coming as boosters assembled the money. The City of Cleveland set aside $2 million in American Rescue Plan Act dollars for Hitchcock back in 2021.
In all, the city has come in with $3.7 million, Cuyahoga County with $3.8 million and the Cleveland Clinic with $2.5 million, according to the center.
Friday’s groundbreaking brought out a healthy roster of Cleveland politicians. Speakers were effusive in their thanks for the expansion’s developer, Wesley Finch. But the marquee speaking slot belonged to Michelle Woods, a board member and Hitchcock alumna. She said the center helped her recover from alcohol addiction.
“After 90 days, I loved how I felt. I loved waking up in the morning instead of coming to,” she said. “Hitchcock sent me out those doors with all the tools I needed to make my recovery ongoing, one day at a time.”
When construction finishes next year, the addition will house 42 residential treatment beds and 53 units of subsidized housing commonly known as Section 8.
