Lakeland to undergo $2.6M in renovations downtown

Rendering provided by Lakeland Behavioral Health System

Three phases are planned for the project designed by Ireland Architects Inc.

Lakeland Behavioral Health System is scheduled to break ground this month on $2.6 million in renovations to the downtown psychiatric center.

The three-phase project marks the latest investment by Franklin, Tennessee-based Lakeland owner Acadia Healthcare, which has spent more than $10 million upgrading the 440 S. Market St. property since acquiring the company in 2011, according to a news release.

“These changes will not only provide a better patient/caregiver experience at Lakeland, but it will also significantly improve security,” Lakeland CEO Nate Duncan said in the release.

Base Construction & Management LLC is serving as general contractor for the project designed by Ireland Architects Inc., said Neil Frost, director of business development for Lakeland. A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for 11 a.m. on March 25.

The project calls for:
• a more efficient admissions department for the health care center’s intake process in Phase I;
• a new secure ambulance bay in Phase II; and
• a remodel of the front entrance and lobby in Phase III.

Frost said the project should be completed by year’s end.

Lakeland provides psychiatric health services, including residential and inpatient care, for some 2,500 patients annually. The organization focuses on mental and behavioral health care for youths, as well as adults over the age of 60, according to the release.