WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Whatcom County’s plan for their new behavioral care center is coming into focus.

The Whatcom County Council received an update on the facility at their meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 10, as the project enters the design phase.

The facility will contain two 16-bed units focused on treatment for mental health and substance use disorders. Those units will include lounges, dining, a multi-purpose room, patient laundry and access to an outdoor space.

The care center will also include a 23-hour crisis relief center adjacent to an intake area with a private drop-off area for EMS or law enforcement vehicles.

The center will be built on Division Street in Bellingham and located next to more of the county’s behavioral health treatment options like the Anne Deacon Center.

The county decided earlier this year that it will be an out-of-custody facility, meaning it will be available to the broader community, not just those who are in jail custody.

Construction is expected to begin in March 2028 and take roughly a year to complete. The initial budget is estimated at $34 million.

The care center is part of the county’s Justice Project, which was approved by voters alongside the new jail in November 2023.

Construction of the new jail is now expected to begin in August 2027 and wrap up around May 2029.