Lane County advances stabilization center project, authorizes alternative contracting method amid regulatory hurdles

The Lane County Board of Commissioners on May 5 received a quarterly progress report on the planned Lane Stabilization Center and authorized staff to pursue an alternative contracting method intended to bring a builder into the design phase.

Eve Gray, director of Lane County Health and Human Services, told the board the project team has secured about $35,000,000 in capital for the stabilization center and has acquired property on International Way. Gray said the county is pursuing annexation to the city of Springfield, with an initial annexation hearing scheduled for May 18, and that a schematic design contract is underway with TVA Architects.

"We have secured about 35,000,000 for capital for this project," said Dr. Pauline Gishoji, behavioral health division manager, summarizing the project's funding status and the crisis-center model the county is using. Staff said $14,000,000 in lottery bond dollars previously approved by the board may be used only on the final site and that the team is working to refine cost estimates before decisions on groundbreaking.

Gray and Dr. Gishoji described a model aligned with the federal SAMHSA crisis continuum: a 24‑hour access line (988), mobile crisis response and a crisis stabilization facility. Planned facility size is roughly 35,000–40,000 square feet, intended to serve youth and adults with both voluntary and involuntary pathways.

Staff warned of regulatory limitations. "In the stabilization center statute, it does specifically say that stabilization centers will not treat someone who requires inpatient level of care," Gray said, adding that Oregon's historical statutory interpretation has treated anyone receiving involuntary care as requiring inpatient services. County staff said they will seek statutory clarity and expect work toward a legislative fix in the 2027 session.

Commissioners pressed on how youth services would be phased and how the center will interact with a planned neighboring psychiatric hospital. Gray said the county aims to stabilize most patients within three to five days and will use transfer agreements and secure transport to move patients to inpatient or residential care as needed; she named the planned psychiatric hospital "Timber Springs" and said transfer partnerships are being developed with PeaceHealth.

Staff also described program development work: design input from TVA Architects, community focus groups, workforce- and apprenticeship-oriented hiring plans, and conversations with the Oregon Health Authority and the Oregon Department of Human Services to resolve licensing and rule questions for youth services.

Separately, the board voted 5–0 to authorize staff to use a construction manager/general contractor (CMGC) alternative contracting method for the stabilization center (County Order 26050505). Sean Hubbell, the county procurement manager, told the board the CMGC approach will allow preconstruction collaboration with the contractor to improve constructability, scheduling and to produce a guaranteed maximum price later in the process. Hubbell said the county planned to release an RFP the day after the meeting, keep it open about four weeks, and aim to have a contract in place by July.

"This method allows the party that will actually be constructing the facility to have input during the design phase," Hubbell said, noting the county has used CMGC for other large projects such as the Clean Lane project.

The board did not take final action on site groundbreaking; Gray said the county will return to commissioners to seek approval before breaking ground once cost estimates and other conditions are clear.

The meeting record also includes a public comment in which David Bridal alleged inaccuracies in a City Club presentation about the Northbank Monument and said he will continue to challenge the county's historical materials; staff and board did not provide a response during the meeting.

The board recessed for an executive session and scheduled return to open session at 1:30 p.m.