Indianapolis' former Winona Memorial Hospital could become the largest addiction treatment center in the U.S., with more than 800 treatment slots for former drug offenders, the Indianapolis Star reported April 21.

Money is currently being raised to support the opening of the center, which would be based on the Healing Place program model pioneered in Louisville, Ky., and provide long-term (12-to-18-month) residential treatment.

The hospital has been closed for about 18 months, but Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson said he would only support the treatment program moving in if it had community backing. "These kinds of facilities are needed," he said. "The question is where they should be located." Supporters also are looking for contracts with the Indiana Department of Correction.

However, the president and CEO of the nearby Indianapolis Children's Museum expressed skepticism about the project. "The Children's Museum has invested significant resources toward the ongoing enhancement and improvement of the neighborhood in which we reside," said Jeffrey Patchen. "We are extremely concerned about any entity which could jeopardize the safety of our neighbor residents and museum members and visitors, or potentially diminish that investment."

The head of a neighboring private school expressed similar concerns. But James Gaither, an addiction-medicine specialist who is leading the campaign for the new treatment center, said the facility would help, not hurt, the community. "There's a lot of money being wasted now by locking up people with untreated chemical dependency," said Gaither. "There's a need for this kind of proven program."