Efforts to bring a new inpatient detox and rehab facility to Brunswick County received a boost last week with a $250,000 state grant.
The grant will help fund the Medaci Wellness Institute’s renovation of the former Brunswick Community Hospital at 1 Medical Center Drive in Supply. The organization plans to renovate the former hospital into a comprehensive continuum care facility with inpatient detoxification and residential rehabilitation services.
With this project, Medaci Wellness Institute expects to create at least 25 new jobs and invest $35 million, according to a news release from the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina.
The Medaci grant was one of eight grant requests approved last week by the North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority. In all, the eight grants totaled $1.65 million. They went to projects that have committed to creating 297 jobs and attracting more than $234 million in public and private investment, according to the economic development partnership.
The grants are part of the state’s Building Reuse Program, which helps provide funds to renovate and upfit existing buildings for new businesses.
Work is underway on the “substantial building refurbishment” of the 73,000-square-foot former hospital, Tracey Edwards, Medaci Wellness Institute’s chief marketing officer, wrote in an email to the Business Journal on Wednesday.
“With a project of this size, every dollar matters and the (grant) provides a nice commitment and support of Medaci Wellness being an integral part of the community,” she wrote.
The completed 120-bed facility will include 24 detox rooms and 96 residential inpatient rooms, according to Edwards. It will employ approximately 180 people, ranging from hourly support personnel to medically licensed professionals.
“All services provided are focused on holistic well-being and healing that includes advanced, comprehensive care and support tailored to individual’s needs,” Edwards wrote.
While renovations of the former hospital are expected to wrap up in early 2026, the facility is currently working through an application for licensure to start providing outpatient services in one of the property’s ancillary office buildings. Those outpatient services are expected to begin this fall, according to Edwards.