Dallas County is preparing to buy a building that would give police in Richardson and nearby communities a place other than a jail cell to take someone in a crisis tied to mental illness or drug or alcohol use.
Commissioners are scheduled to vote Tuesday, Nov. 3 on a purchase agreement for 1340 Empire Central Drive in Dallas, a 41,203-square-foot building on 2.849 acres. The negotiated price is $11.25 million, plus the county's usual costs for due diligence, an appraisal, an environmental report, title fees and legal work. The seller is CMK2B Dallas LLC.
Who it would serve
The county's briefing describes the center as a structured alternative to incarceration for people in a crisis in the northern part of the county, listing Addison, Coppell, Farmers Branch, North Dallas and Richardson as the area it would cover.
It would be limited to nonviolent people who are not considered a danger to themselves or anyone else. The briefing says the facility will not be a drop-in center and will not accept anyone who is violent or a danger to the public. Working with local law enforcement, staff would connect people to care in a controlled setting.
Planned services include:
- Stabilization, plus clinical assessments by licensed staff
- Medication management where needed
- Detox under medical supervision
- Referrals for longer-term treatment and help finding housing
County staff wrote that the program is meant to cut repeat police calls, unneeded jail stays, emergency response demands and reoffending. The purchase agreement lists an emergency generator, commercial kitchen equipment and medical gas systems among the building's fixtures included in the sale.