Shovels and hardhats await a groundbreaking ceremony in Alfred on Thursday to celebrate the start of construction on York County’s recovery center, which will be the first county-run recovery center in Maine, and a first responder training center. Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer

ALFRED — The rumble of trucks on Thursday marked the start of construction on York County’s $44 million substance use recovery and first responder training centers.

The site, located off Layman Way near the York County Sheriff’s Office and Jail, will be home to the state’s first county-run recovery center. The 58-bed center will offer a detox program and treatment for people struggling with substance use.

Just down the road, the county is constructing a training facility fit for over 1,500 first responders – like police officers, firefighters, EMS providers and dispatchers.

At a ceremonial groundbreaking on Thursday morning, County Manager Gregory Zinser said the $44 million project is expected to take 18 to 24 months to complete. A majority of the funding for the recovery center, about $17 million, came from the American Rescue Plan Act, which granted the county $40 million in 2021 to help recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

While planning and collaboration took about three years, seeing the construction plans come together at the site is exciting, especially because of its size and scale, Zinser said in an interview after the event.

‘IT WILL SAVE LIVES’

The York County Jail currently provides medication-assisted treatment to 120 people, County Commissioner Richard Dutremble said in a speech. The new recovery center will be available to those already charged with crimes as well as others who aren’t involved in the criminal justice system, he said.

Kennebunk Police Chief Robert MacKenzie said the center “will save lives.” He said three of his five adult children have suffered from substance use disorder.

“People recover,” he said in his speech. “I work with a lot of people that are in recovery that have been in really bad places. York County historically has not had services.”

York County Manager Greg Zinser speaks during a groundbreaking ceremony in Alfred on Thursday. Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer

York County saw 41 fatal and 859 nonfatal overdoses from January to September 2024, according to the University of Maine’s Drug Data Hub.

The center will provide treatment for people in their own county with help from their local first responders, MacKenzie said.

“We finally have something for us all to rally around and we will,” MacKenzie said. “It is near and dear to my heart.”

The facility will be owned and operated by York County, according to Zinser.

Stakeholders pose for a photo during a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the start of construction for York County’s recovery center, which will be the first county-run recovery center in Maine and a first responder training center. From left: Tyler Barter, principal at Oak Point Associates; Sarah Hourihane, owner and principal at Lassel Architects; Denis Garriepy, chief operating officer at Landry French; and York County commissioners Justin Chenette, Richard Dutremble, Bob Andrews, Donna Ring and Richard Clark; and Greg Zinser, York County manager. Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer

Sheriff Bill King said that the facility will serve as a “one-stop-shop” for people in recovery. The site will offer 30-day and some post-care treatments. And, with the building being so near the future training center, he said he expects more mutual respect between people in recovery and people who work in law enforcement.

“Having these two facilities sharing space will encourage collaboration while eliminating any stigma that often accompanies recovery facilities and those utilizing their services,” King said.

The training center will also help first responders get to know each other, which may help in crucial scenarios, he said, such as when over 100 firefighters and first responders battled an apartment fire in Wells on Monday while overcoming water supply issues.

“Think about how that coordination will be enhanced when all of the York County firefighters, law enforcement and emergency medical personnel can train together here at the training center,” he said in his speech.