By summer 2026, Henrico County will be home to a 60-bed recovery center where individuals struggling with addiction can be guided safely through their withdrawal symptoms and receive short-term, stabilizing treatment for substance-use disorder.
The Henrico County Detox & Residential Treatment Center will be built and operated through a public-private partnership between Henrico and Pyramid Healthcare. Officials held a groundbreaking ceremony this morning to kick off construction on the county’s Eastern Government Center campus, 3820 Nine Mile Road.
“The Henrico Pyramid recovery center will be nothing short of lifesaving for those in our community who are struggling to break the brutal grip of addiction,” said Henrico Supervisor Tyrone E. Nelson, of the Varina District. “It will offer care and treatment from medical professionals with both the experience and expertise to guide individuals as they detoxify, stabilize and begin their journeys to recovery. I am grateful to Pyramid Healthcare for partnering with Henrico County to realize and build upon the recommendations of our Recovery Roundtable. The result will be a model facility that addresses a vital community need while operating at no cost to our taxpayers.”
The recovery center is taking shape as opioid overdose deaths in Virginia continue to rise – an increase of 59% per 100,000 residents from 2019 to 2023. The challenges are particularly acute among Black residents. Henrico is one of seven localities – and the only county – identified by the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority (VOAA) as having a disproportionately high number of Black opioid overdose deaths (212 deaths and a 167% increase from 2019-2023). To address the issue, the county has applied for funding through VOAA’s Operation STOP! grants program.
“We see communities across the nation which have been devastated by the impacts of addiction. Henrico County has taken on a proactive leadership position in combating historically high overdose rates, hospital and criminal justice system burdens and the overall cost of addiction on their community,” said Jason Hendricks, CEO of Pyramid Healthcare. “We are proud to have worked alongside the county on a comprehensive treatment solution that will offer a more appropriate therapeutic setting where individuals can begin their healing journey with dignity and the support they deserve.”
The facility’s construction will be funded with $10.7 million from Henrico. Pyramid Healthcare will operate the center under a 30-year lease at no cost to the county. The company, based in Altoona, Penn., offers a full range of detoxification, residential and outpatient services at facilities across seven states, which include Virginia locations in Radford, Newport News and King George.
Of the recovery center’s 60 beds, 10 will be set aside for detoxification or withdrawal from the toxic effects of drugs and/or alcohol – a medically intensive process that typically lasts three to five days. The remaining 50 beds will be available for stays up to 30 days for inpatient treatment for substance-use disorders. The facility is designed to be flexible, allowing staff to temporarily allocate more of the beds for either detoxification or treatment based on needs.
“When we started looking to build a recovery center in Henrico, heroin and opioids were fueling the addiction epidemic,” said Michael Feinmel, deputy county manager of Public Safety. “Now, we’re seeing more potent mixtures of fentanyl and stimulants. The drugs on the street are continuously evolving and require public safety and treatment providers to be attuned to the newest trends. By partnering with an industry leader like Pyramid Healthcare, we’ll be able to adapt to changes as they emerge and offer a range of immediate and short-term treatment that can relieve hospital emergency rooms and serve as a bridge to other treatment and recovery services available in our community.”
Pyramid Henrico will encompass 31,479 square feet and include a gymnasium and support spaces. The facility will accept patients regardless of insurance coverage and residency. Admissions, which will include a screening process, will occur through Henrico Area Mental Health & Developmental Services and Pyramid Healthcare. Under the county’s agreement with Pyramid, Henrico patients will be guaranteed treatment at another Pyramid location if no bed is available at the Henrico facility.
Henrico has been planning a detoxification and treatment center since 2020. That’s when the Henrico Recovery Roundtable, a work group of substance-use experts, elected officials, judges and others, recommended building a facility, in lieu of a third county jail, to help treat individuals struggling with addiction and overdoses.
The Board of Supervisors has taken steps in recent months to move the project forward. It donated land at the Eastern Government Center to the Economic Development Authority so it could be leased and approved a rezoning to allow the recovery center to be built.