Explanation
BACKGROUND
This legislation authorizes the amendment of Ordinance No. 1797-2025, passed by Columbus City Council on July 14, 2025, which authorized the Director of the Department of Development to enter into a grant agreement in the amount up to $500,000.00 with The Refuge, Inc. for the purpose of constructing a residential facility within the Hilltop community. An amendment is required to update the scope of the grant to construct a mental health clinic at the previously identified site, rather than a residential facility. This amendment will also increase the amount of the grant to $1,000,000.00 and allow expenses incurred prior to the creation of the purchase order, beginning January 1, 2025.
The Refuge, founded in 1999 and based in The Hilltop, is a leading faith-based addiction recovery organization and the provider of The Refuge Residential Addiction Recovery Program. The Refuge provides the City of Columbus with a highly effective, efficient, and turnkey partnership opportunity providing for the ongoing, simultaneous impacting of the Westside across all three of City Council’s Funding Priorities - Stronger Neighborhoods, Good Paying Jobs and Pathways Out of Poverty. The Refuge program does this through a uniquely and holistic approach to Addiction Recovery with unmatched addiction recovery outcomes that are among the best in the nation. The organization does so with a particular focus in Franklinton and The Hilltop, a neighborhood listed as the area with the highest level of poverty in the Rise Together blueprint.
The proposed project involves the new construction of a mental health clinic in The Hilltop Neighborhood on Columbus’ Westside. The building site is on The Refuge’s existing property, which is wholly-owned by The Refuge.
Contract Compliance: the vendor number is 028976 and expires 10/17/2027.
Fiscal Impact: Additional funding in the amount of $500,000.00 is available in 2025 Capital Improvement Budget, Development Tax...
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