LAKEVIEW — It was a tumultuous journey, but Rosecrance has arrived in Lakeview one year after initially proposing its first Chicago recovery home.
Rosecrance Lakeview opened at 3701 N. Ashland Ave. last week. In addition to housing up to 30 residents, the newest branch of the not-for-profit organization offers outpatient services in its first-floor counseling center.
"It is great when a plan comes together," said Rosecrance CEO Philip Eaton. "Our team is excited — the last 10 months have been spent on getting the building complete, and it's probably just the last 30 days that we've had real boots on the ground."
With their first tenant moved in, the staff had been interviewing more candidates for the six sober living apartments that can each house five people. Roommates — typically young adults — will share a common kitchen, living room and balcony, along with three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
Rosecrance Lakeview has six apartments that each house five residents. Its first tenant moved in this week. [DNAinfo/Ariel Cheung]
A kitchen in one of the shared apartments at Rosecrance Lakeview, which opened in August at 3701 N. Ashland Ave. [DNAinfo/Ariel Cheung]
The counseling center will offer outpatient programs in varying degrees of intensity, from nine to 25 hours per week. Rosecrance bases its programs on the 12 Step model, treating addiction as a medical condition like diabetes or hypertension, said chief medical officer Thomas Wright.
A key aspect of that treatment includes providing a new direction for the people in recovery, whether it be school, work or volunteering. Wright also said it was important to him not to isolate populations like the LGBTQ community with special programs, but rather ensure their unique needs are met.
"We hope they see us as open and inclusive," said Wright, who noted that people in the LGBTQ community have a higher incidence of drug abuse and depression. "We have competency and we certainly are equipped to address that."
Rosecrance Lakeview features a roof patio, where residents can spend limited hours. [DNAinfo/Ariel Cheung]
At the helm of Rosecrance Lakeview is executive director Merry Beth Sheets. She came to Rosecrance Lakeview after 12 years with Pillars, a nonprofit mental health and social services center in the Chicago suburbs.
Sheets said there was a big draw in getting to design a treatment center from the ground up. She's also looking forward to working with her residents and staff members on volunteer projects in the neighborhood.
Another priority is reaching out to other service providers in Lakeview and Chicago. Sheets is in talks with Lakeview YMCA, the Center on Halsted and ONE Northside in hopes of forging relationships with the community, she said.
Each apartment has three bedrooms shared between five residents. [DNAinfo/Ariel Cheung]
Making nice with the community could go a long way in changing the perception of some that Rosecrance will have a negative impact on the wary Lakeview.
Last year, neighbors raised thousands of dollars and attended meetings in droves, hoping to drive away the Rockford-based organization they accused of failing to anticipate the challenges of operating a recovery residence in a city as large as Chicago.
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The fight came to an end in October, when the Zoning Board of Appeals granted Rosecrance its special use permit without requested restrictions. Since then, Rosecrance has focused on finishing construction of the five-story building at Ashland and Waveland avenues.
"Once we get in, people will see that their fears were unfounded, that we're not going to habitually destroy a neighborhood or community," Eaton said. "There's a dramatic heroin problem in the Chicago area, and that's really why we're here."
Members of the Lakeview Action Committee — which was formed in opposition to Rosecrance Lakeview — declined to comment.
Eaton said he saw no difference in Rosecrance Lakeview and the homes it runs in Rockford and Woodstock. When asked about specific city needs like access to public transportation, Eaton said he was sure Rosecrance could easily address "whatever the unique needs are."
As promised, Eaton said Rosecrance will now begin working with a Good Neighbor Committee comprised of Ald. Tom Tunney (44th), a Rosecrance representative and five community members. The group is set to meet monthly for the next two years to discuss concerns.
In a year, Eaton said he expects a more encouraging response from neighbors than what he received in 2015.
"Years after we move in [other cities], some that were of the same opinion as the aggressive objectors said our presence has not had an adverse impact," Eaton said. "I think it'll be a different conversation in a year."
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