The Indian River County Hospital District is a bit closer to recouping $4.2 million taxpayers paid to buy and refurbish a "women's sober home" site in December 2024 as the tenant has raised $1.5 million in pledges toward the purchase price.

Thrive, formerly known as the Substance Awareness Center and before that as the Substance Abuse Council, is occupying the 4-acre property and two buildings rent free, which amounts to an estimated $750,000 taxpayer subsidy over the three-year lease term.

The nonprofit organization, which describes itself as "the leader in substance misuse prevention and recovery services in Indian River County," has to make all needed improvements to the existing buildings and hire and train facility staff by Christmas, according to the lease terms. It is required to open the facility by mid-January, but the property will not operate as a woman's sober home, as originally envisioned by the hospital district. Instead, the planned operation will be a co-ed, short-term care and referral facility.

The hospital district bought the property without a business plan to operate a women's sober home sustainably – merely a concept that women battling addiction were not being adequately served – and trustees ended up seeking proposals for using the buildings and land for more broadly defined recovery purposes.

Trustees had the chance to sell the property outright to a locally run for-profit addiction recovery company, but chose Thrive's lease/purchase proposal instead, due to its track record of helping county residents since 1989 and its commitment to serving low-income residents.

Thrive intends to operate a round-the-clock clearinghouse where drug addicts and alcoholics in need of detox or rehab services can show up and get help finding a place to go. Thrive staff will assess the applicant's needs and locate an appropriate facility with an open bed.

Also on site, Thrive plans to provide temporary crisis housing and services for substance abusers trying to get clean.

Thrive leaders have said that, in addition to walk-ins from the community, law enforcement drop-offs would be a source of incoming clients. Thrive already works with prisoners at the jail on substance-abuse counseling.

"I just want to share that we're in full swing over there, getting operations up and ready," Thrive CEO Carrie Lester told hospital district trustees last month, adding that 22 community partners and prospective donors have toured the site.

As part of the required 60-day progress report, Lester told trustees that Thrive has obtained a detailed security assessment from local police. Her security team is reviewing and implementing numerous recommendations, including landscape trimming, electronic entry cards and a new alarm system. Crews are painting, working on the air-conditioning system and upgrading the plumbing.

"The goal right now is to get the community's input as we flesh out protocols and really to know and see and understand what this is before we launch," Lester said, adding that she's gotten very positive feedback for the most part and looks forward to giving hospital district trustees a tour soon.

The parcel at 620 and 650 10th Street, a block east of U.S. 1 just outside the Vero Beach city limits, is an abandoned group home once operated by the Children's Home Society. It is zoned residential and surrounded on three sides by single-family homes or condos, with Dyer Chevrolet on the fourth side.

The Hospital District purchased the property with cash, using $3.8 from the sale of land east of Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital to the Visiting Nurse Association.

Thrive must raise at least another $2.6 million to purchase the property, which has a minimum $4.1 million price tag, but could cost as much as $5.2 million, depending on market value.

Anyone who spent the previous night in Indian River County will be eligible for services, so there's no guarantee that drug- and alcohol-addicted people from out of county or even out of state won't show up. Considering the substantial taxpayer commitment and need for recovery services here, though, the aim is to serve mostly local residents.