A former funeral home building on West Lebanon Street is being given new life under plans for its occupancy by a local organization that provides mental health and substance-abuse services.
Daymark Recovery Services presently is located at 847 Westlake Drive and is looking to move to property vacated in 2019 by Howell Funeral Service Inc. on the other side of U.S. 52-North, but in the same general area, by Aug. 1.
“We have been out of space at our current location for some time,” Daymark director Emily McPeak explained.
The building on Westlake Drive has about 6,000 square feet of space occupying two stories that require users to go up and down.
Meanwhile, the former funeral home facility at 940 W. Lebanon St. has right at 10,000 square feet, which is all on one level and will be more accessible for the public and staff, McPeak says.
“This has been in the planning stages for several months now,” she added regarding the transition for Daymark Recovery Services. The operation has undergone various other changes over the years in conjunction with mental health reforms, including formerly being known as Crossroads and located on Riverside Drive.
Daymark has been at its present site on Westlake Drive for about 10 years.
“Our building actually sold in January,” McPeak said.
She mentioned that Daymark officials have been searching for more than two years to find another location to suit its needs and where the operation could expand.
The West Lebanon Street property became available in the wake of Howell Funeral Service Inc. closing in May 2019 along with another funeral home in Pilot Mountain which was part of the Howell-Nelson Funeral Service and Crematory operation.
A limited-liability company known as Mayberry Witt Street recently acquired the 2.3-acre commercial site. That entity is associated with local businessman Dean Bray and the company Bray Properties, which is now up-fitting the building for the new occupant.
“Dean Bray Properties has been nothing short of amazing,” McPeak said of its efforts in that regard.
The new location will allow Daymark the space to add programs and assist more people to better meet the community’s needs, she said. Along with psychiatric services for adults and children and substance-abuse treatment programs, Daymark offers urgent-care, crisis-management and children’s in-home services.
“We’re really excited,” McPeak said of the upcoming move.
The Daymark director says its staff has no qualms about moving in to a building once occupied by a funeral home, which might give some second thoughts.
“Not at all,” McPeak assured.
As a non-profit community mental health agency, Daymark is accustomed to having limited resources, and the staff simply is glad to have a more-spacious environment to enhance its activities — which McPeak believes should overcome any cases of the willies.
“It’s going to have a very different look to it,” she said of the former funeral home, while also pointing out that the name “Daymark” refers to a bright way forward as evidenced by the agency’s logo including a lighthouse.
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Source: https://www.mtairynews.com