LIVE OAK — After breaking ground earlier this year, work on a new Santa Cruz County-owned stabilization center for local youth in crisis is progressing with planners eyeing a pair of opening dates in 2025. The two-story, emergent facility at 5300 Soquel Ave. has been under construction since February and, according to a release from the county’s Community Development and Infrastructure department, crews are ready to move into the next phase of building.
“Renovation for this next phase includes framing interior walls, enclosing balconies with exterior walls, and installing mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems for new rooms,” Michael Hettenhausen, the county’s project manager for the job, said in the release. “We expect this project will have minimal impact on surrounding neighbors.” The county’s Board of Supervisors agreed to purchase the 30,220-square-foot facility in Live Oak in late 2022 for about $9.
5 million with all of the money necessary for the acquisition coming from state and federal grants. The first floor of the building will be transformed into an eight-chair stabilization facility for youth experiencing a mental health crisis and will provide them with a place to stay for 24 hours or fewer. This section of the facility is expected to be complete by early next summer.
The second floor will be home to the county’s first Children’s Crisis Residential Program, which will provide 16 beds for inpatient, intensive treatment services that can .
