Advantage Behavioral Health Systems announced that it has purchased the former Clarke School District Administration building located at 240 Mitchell Bridge Road.  Officials met this afternoon to formalize the agreement on the 55,000 square foot facility which was once the Charter Winds psychiatric hospital.  The official price tag for the location is $2.77 million.

“This property will allow us to consolidate three of our locations into one space, enabling us to reduce our overhead costs while expanding access to those we serve,” stated Oliver “O. J.” Booker, CEO of Advantage.  Advantage currently operates their addictive disease treatment programs and 14-bed crisis unit at 195 Miles Street and their child and adolescent, residential, employment and day programs in a facility located on South Milledge Avenue.  The main adult mental health clinic is at 250 North Avenue.  “When we combine all of our Athens behavioral health operations into the Mitchell Bridge building, program efficiency will dramatically increase and the treatment and referral process for our clients will become much smoother,” remarked David A. Kidd, Board Chair.

The Mitchell Bridge Road property includes a 17-acre campus that gives Advantage room to grow its community behavioral health programs.  The development plan calls for approximately $2.3 million in renovation.  Advantage’s partners in this project are E+E Architecture, Grahl Construction, Athens First Bank and Trust, Atlas Real Estate Advisors and Collins Project Management.  Construction is expected to begin in July with occupancy in February or March 2017. Advantage’s administrative headquarters and develop