SPRINGFIELD – From the outside the building at 155 Mill St. is neat, clean and doesn’t reveal a clue to its use. This is the new home for the Western Massachusetts Recovery and Wellness Center, the former Western Massachusetts Correctional Addiction Center, which will soon be opening.

The center, known informally as “Howard Street,” has been located at the former Geriatric Authority building in Holyoke since it was forced to move from its location on Howard Street in the South End of Springfield by the construction of the MGM Springfield casino complex.

The center proved to be an issue in the race for Hampden County Sheriff with Governor’s Councilor Michael Albano stating that if he were elected sheriff he would never move the minimum-security residential treatment facility to that location. A lawsuit against the use of the building was filed.

The winner of the race, Nick Cocchi, always supported the location and said the lawsuit has been dropped. He acknowledged that some neighbors in the Maple High Six Corners neighborhood – the center is also close to the South End and Forest Park neighborhoods – may have their doubts, but he said, “We’re going to prove our worth over time.”

The Sheriff’s Department has worked with a group of residents who made up an advisory council and that group will be touring the building on Dec. 28.

The building was a former nursing home that was at one time used as dormitory for seasonal workers at Six Flags. As Assistant Superintendent Della Blake and Sheriff-elect Cocchi pointed out during a tour for Reminder Publications the building has been extensively re-designed.

Blake explained that inmates who qualify for the program would spend about 90 days at the center.

She noted the classroom in the lower level of the building that will be used for inmates preparing for the high school equivalency test and other educational programs.

For instance, inmates can receive the ServSafe certificate that can help them find a job in the restaurant industry, she added.

Eventually, she said, there will be a partnership with Springfield Technical Community College for greater educational opportunities.

Cocchi said of the educational programs, “It gives them a leg up.” He added, “When their minds are clear, they are very productive.”

Blake noted there is a dress code – shirt and tie – and inmates must make their beds each day. If they don’t respond well to the demands of the program, they are returned to the jail in Ludlow.

“Everything is about reentering, about being productive,” Blake noted.

Also on the lower level are a large multi-purpose room and a newly redesigned kitchen.

There is security at the front door, cameras through the building and stations for corrections officers on each floor. Cocchi said that no one could come in or out of the building without security knowing it.

Assistant Superintendent Anthony Scibelli explained the inmates as they are brought in would enter the building from a rear entrance. After processing they would brought to a dormitory upstairs. There is one floor for woman and two flows for men. There are 24 women and 125 men in the program.

The dorm areas are bright and spacious with newly painted walls and large completely remodeled bathrooms.

Blake said the staff includes social workers, mental health counselors and nurses, all licensed in their field. The idea is to bring treatment and corrections together, a model, she noted, that is not totally embraced in the corrections field.

Scibelli said this approach actually costs the taxpayers less

Cocchi said that although this facility will open about the time he will be taking his oath of office, he said it is really an example of the legacy of out-going Sheriff Michael Ashe Jr.

In a written statement, Ashe said, “We are pleased to have a permanent location for this important regional facility. Coinciding with the opening, we have also changed the name of the facility to the Western Massachusetts Recovery and Wellness Center to better reflect the intensive inpatient treatment program delivered to its residents. Over 17,500 individuals have received treatment in the center since it’s opening in 1986.

“With the current opioid crisis sweeping across the commonwealth, this treatment center is more important today than ever before. We are honored to be located in the Maple High Six Corners neighborhood and look forward to a close working relationship with the residents. We plan on being a respectful good neighbor.

"A neighborhood advisory committee has been meeting for several months with members of the centers’ staff providing valuable input to the development and operation of this center.

“The revitalization of this run down property will improve the desirability of this section of the neighborhood and increase public safety overall.

“We look forward to a long term, robust, engaged and respectful relationship with the neighborhood and its representative council.”