Collier County’s largest behavioral health center takes shape ahead of schedule

COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — David Lawrence Centers is celebrating a major milestone in the construction of what will soon be the largest mental health center in Collier County — a project leaders said is moving ahead of schedule.

In just seven months, a nearly vacant plot of land off Golden Gate Parkway has transformed into the framework of a new $50 million behavioral health center. On Friday, David Lawrence Centers marked the moment by placing the final beams on the building.

With construction reaching this stage, leaders said the center is one step closer to opening and is designed to meet a growing demand for mental health and addiction services in the community.

“One in four are going to struggle with a mental health challenge. One in seven are going to struggle with an addiction challenge,” said Scott Burgess, CEO of David Lawrence Centers. “So just simply as we continue to grow in population as a community, we’re going to have more behavioral health needs."

Burgess said the project is well ahead of schedule and will significantly expand the organization’s capacity once complete.

“Right now in our current space, we only have three emergency room beds for all of Collier County — all of Collier County children and adults,” Burgess said. “This building is going to have 12 emergency room beds. And right now, we’ve got the capacity to serve 30 adults in our current space, and this building is going to have 75 beds for inpatient support."

Local tax dollars helped fund the project, and Collier County Commissioner Burt Saunders said the investment will save money over time while improving care.

“It’s less expensive for the county to have someone in a mental health facility like this getting services than it is to have them in a county jail,” Saunders explained. “And so the county taxpayers are going to, in the long run, save money — that’s important — but most importantly, again, is providing the services that are needed for our citizens."

The center was originally expected to open next year, but David Lawrence Centers now said it could open as early as December 2026.

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