NEW ORLEANS — The Odyssey House Louisiana held a groundbreaking ceremony Monday morning to mark the expansion of its addition treatment center.
The nonprofit is opening another location at Broad and Fourth streets.
Gov. John Bel Edwards, Mayor Mitch Landrieu, Mayor-elect Latoya Cantrell and other local leaders were there in support of the expansion.
Edwards said opioid prescription numbers are decreasing in our state, but that’s not good enough.
“From 5.7 million prescriptions in 2013 to 4.9 million prescriptions in 2017, 4.9 million prescriptions last year,” Edwards said. “People — we have 4.6 million people in the state of Louisiana? Think about that — and we’re not the worst in the country! But that’s indicative of the problem that we have.”
The historic Bohn Motor company will be restored for roughly $14.4 million, revitalizing Street, creating 45 new permanent jobs, doubling the Odyssey House’s capacity, and providing low-cost medical and behavioral healthcare to thousands of addicts in New Orleans.
Construction should wrap up in February or March of next year.