Governor Hochul Announces Opening of $32 Million Residential Addiction Treatment Facility on Wards Island

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the opening of the Kate Rothko Center for Recovery, a newly constructed $32 million residential addiction treatment facility operated by Odyssey House on Wards Island in New York City. The 60-bed facility will serve adult men with opioid use disorder and provide Medication for Addiction Treatment (MAT), withdrawal and stabilization services, counseling, clinical programming and individualized medical and psycho-social support in one setting.

"Every New Yorker deserves access to care that meets them with dignity, compassion and hope," Governor Hochul said. "The Kate Rothko Center for Recovery will help more New Yorkers receive evidence-based treatment in a safe, supportive environment, while advancing our commitment to expanding addiction services across the state. This facility is another example of how New York is investing in the people, programs and infrastructure needed to save lives and support long-term recovery."

Funded by the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS), with project management provided by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY), the new three-story, 22,500-square-foot facility expands access to residential treatment for New Yorkers in early recovery. The center supports the State's broader efforts to strengthen addiction services, improve treatment access, and help reduce overdose deaths.

The Kate Rothko Center for Recovery is a residential treatment facility designed to provide a structured, clinically supportive environment for adult men in recovery. The facility integrates medication for addiction treatment - including methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone - with withdrawal and stabilization services, individual counseling, group therapy, and medical management. These comprehensive supports help residents actively engage in treatment and achieve long-term recovery.

The new facility represents the latest milestone in New York State's ongoing expansion of addiction services. Through investments in residential treatment, outpatient services, MAT, prevention programs, recovery supports, harm reduction initiatives, and evidence-based care, New York State continues to strengthen the continuum of services available to individuals and families affected by substance use disorder. Facilities like the Rothko Center also help to create a full system of care in one location, eliminating the need for people to travel long distances from their homes to access help and support.

For many individuals, a 24-hour residential setting provides the ideal opportunity to fully engage in treatment. These programs provide group support, skills development to support independent living, and other resources to promote recovery.

DASNY provided project management for the newly constructed facility, working with OASAS, Odyssey House, and project partners to deliver a modern 60-bed treatment environment for adult men on a constrained urban site. The project used modular construction methods, with 71 factory-built modules transported to Wards Island and assembled in 16 days. Delivery required extensive coordination for oversized loads, bridge access, city road usage, on-site staging and escorted transportation through New York City streets.

New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports Commissioner Dr. Chinazo Cunningham said: "Medication for addiction treatment significantly reduces the risk of overdose deaths and has saved thousands of lives across New York. At OASAS, we work closely with our community-based providers like Odyssey House to ensure that all New Yorkers in need of this treatment can access it close to where they live, and we are proud that these efforts continue to contribute to a decline in overdose deaths across the state. Thanks to this new facility, more New Yorkers impacted by opioid use disorder will be able to find help and support in their community, as we work to drive overdose deaths down even further."

Dormitory Authority of the State of New York President and CEO Robert J. Rodriguez said, "The Kate Rothko Center for Recovery represents the kind of infrastructure that changes lives. DASNY is proud to have provided project management for this $32 million facility, helping deliver a modern residential treatment environment that will expand access to evidence-based care for adult men in early recovery. From modular construction to the complex logistics of delivering and assembling this facility on Wards Island, this project reflects the technical expertise and partnership required to turn critical State investments into places where New Yorkers can heal. We are grateful to Governor Hochul, OASAS, Odyssey House and the full project team for their commitment to ensuring New Yorkers can access care with dignity, compassion and hope."

Odyssey House President and CEO Peter Provet, Ph.D., said, "The Kate Rothko Center for Recovery represents the very best of what Odyssey House strives to be - a place where decades of learning and listening have shaped a new standard of care for men in early recovery from opioid use disorder. By combining Medication for Addiction Treatment with individualized clinical, psycho-social, and medical support, we are giving residents the full continuum of care they need to rebuild their lives. We are grateful to Governor Hochul, OASAS, DASNY and our partners for helping make this facility a reality. We are also proud to open its doors and honored to dedicate it in the name of someone who understands - as her father did - that true healing encompasses the whole person."

Odyssey Foundation Chair Kate Rothko Prizel, MD said, "My father, Mark Rothko, believed that art could reach people at their most vulnerable and remind them of their own depth. I see that same potential in the work of Odyssey House. This center will meet men at their most vulnerable and help restore what addiction has taken from them. To have my name on that door is an honor I hold with great pride and humility."

The center is named in honor of Kate Rothko Prizel, MD, Chair of the Odyssey Foundation since 2024. Dr. Rothko Prizel is a retired physician specializing in Clinical Pathology and Transfusion Medicine, the daughter of celebrated artist Mark Rothko and a longtime advocate for recovery equity.

Odyssey House is a New York City-based nonprofit provider of substance use treatment and recovery services. For more than five decades, Odyssey House has provided residential, outpatient, supportive housing and recovery programs for individuals and families across New York City.

New Yorkers struggling with an addiction, or whose loved ones are struggling, can find help and hope by calling the state's toll-free, 24-hour, 7-day-a-week HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or by texting HOPENY (Short Code 467369).