Recovery Center Transforms Local Community, Economy, and Lives
Client: Crown Recovery Center
Client Location: Springfield, KY
CDFI: Fahe
CDFI Service Area: Central Appalachia
Mortgage lending, community lending, and loan servicing
Crown Recovery Center in Springfield, KY, is located on the former campus of St. Catharine College, which closed in 2016. What was once an abandoned space has been transformed into Kentucky’s largest and most comprehensive addiction treatment and vocational rehabilitation facility. Since opening, the center has served more than 2,500 individuals in recovery. It also stands as one of the region’s largest employers, with more than 300 jobs created and an additional 75 expected as operations continue to expand. Beyond treatment, the center offers GED preparation, vocational training, and second-chance employment opportunities, ensuring that clients not only heal but are prepared to reenter the workforce with dignity.
BGP and CDFI Financing Makes Recovery Possible
This transformation was made possible by Fahe, an Appalachian CDFI that provided $5.95 million in construction and permanent financing, including a loan supported by the Bond Guarantee Program (BGP). Traditional lenders were unwilling to finance the project, but Fahe’s mission-driven approach and BGP’s unique structure created a viable path forward.
Dwain Neeley, Fahe’s Senior Vice President of Community Lending, noted, “BGP provided affordable, long-term financing for a project that traditional lenders would not finance.” This gave Addiction Recovery Care (ARC), the operator of the facility, the confidence to invest in the large-scale renovation and operational launch of the recovery center.
Education and Opportunity Uplifts Community
The rebirth of the Crown Recovery Center has had a ripple effect that extends far beyond the facility’s walls. It has restored life to a once-abandoned campus, given families hope for their loved ones in recovery, and reinvigorated the local economy with hundreds of jobs. Already, 61 clients have earned GEDs, and graduates of the program are preparing to reenter the workforce with new skills and a renewed sense of purpose.
What began with skepticism has become a source of local pride and national attention. The center demonstrates how innovative financing, paired with community vision, can transform both lives and economies. President and CEO of Fahe, Jim King, stated, “The new Crown Recovery Center stands as a brick-and-mortar testament to this community’s commitment to building prosperity for every household and ensuring no worker is left behind.”
The Crown Recovery Center is now not only a hub for healing, but also a national model of how CDFIs and the BGP can unlock second chances for people and revitalization for communities.
CDFIs Create Economic Opportunity and Healthy Communities for All
The Crown Recovery Center demonstrates how access to affordable, mission-driven capital creates both healthy communities and economic opportunity. The center provides thousands of individuals with treatment, education, and workforce training that produces a more inclusive economy. It has also created hundreds of local jobs and revitalized an inactive campus, proving that CDFI investments result in stronger economies and more resilient communities.
Visit our healthy communities page and economic opportunity page to learn more about how OFN and our network of CDFIs invest in these priorities.
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