David Hawley and Aaron Thakker have not only taken on the huge task of transforming a former Super 8 motel in dire need of updates into a modernized drug and alcohol detox and residential treatment facility.
They also hope to build a culture where individualized treatments and therapies converge. And they want alumni to stay connected to a sober community they hope to cultivate at Avalon Wellness & Recovery, 801 Iowa St.
But first, there’s a punch list, inspections and licensing to get Avalon in operation by the co-founders’ goal of late January/early February. The renovated building will have an elevator and all new paint, furniture, window treatments, floor coverings and more.
Small- and large-group therapy rooms, as well as spaces for detox, laundry, lounging, food service and offices have taken shape inside the two-story building. Two saunas, steam rooms and cold water plunges also will be available.
“We want them to be social and have some interactions,” Hawley said of future clients. “So we have a media room downstairs. We have a gym.”
Hawley and Thakker plan to open Avalon this winter for up to eight adults to detox and participate in medication-assisted treatment for substance use disorder. Another 52 beds will be available for adults in residential treatment, most of whom Hawley estimated would stay an average of 28 days.
Individualized treatment and therapy options will be offered, including the 12-steps of Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous as well as SMART Recovery programs and more, Hawley said.
Insurance and private pay initially will be accepted, but Hawley said he hoped to also launch a scholarship program for uninsured people. Referrals will come from Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center, Heartland Community Health Center, LMH Health, DCCCA, and other medical and mental health providers, as well as emergency rooms across the region.
“We may eventually look at certain Medicaid programs that, again, could help the uninsured. We have some options there. We’re going to probably work with Veterans Administration, things like that,” Hawley said.
Over time, Avalon will expand, Hawley said, to serve more people — possibly populations such as unhoused people who are receiving services through local nonprofits — while developing relationships with clients who want to stay connected to the center along their recovery journeys.
“We want alumni relationships,” Hawley said. “We want to build this culture where we have people that are coming back to our facility. We’re going to have an intensive outpatient program. We’re going to have outpatient services and see what we can do to grow what our offerings are.”
But first, Hawley said, Avalon would fill a service gap by offering a residential treatment facility for adult men and women in Lawrence. Currently, DCCCA offers treatment for women and their children at First Step at Lake View.
Hawley estimated Avalon would employ around 40 people. Find out more about the positions they’re hiring for at this link. Some positions, including director of nursing and director of programs, already have been filled.
Kay Baumchen, director of nursing, said she was ready for the rehab center to open.
“I am looking forward to meeting everybody, not just staff, but I’m just looking forward to meeting all the clients,” Baumchen said.
Construction delays — for example, replacing the building’s plumbing — have pushed the project’s debut, Hawley said. But it’s all coming together, and the building’s transforming into the healing and relaxing environment Hawley, Thakker and their investors have envisioned.
After all, Hawley said, the facility itself was named after such a place — the mythical island where King Arthur, accompanied by hope, went to heal from his battle wounds, according to Arthurian legend.
“So to me, it was just kind of fitting,” Hawley said. “There’s a street around the corner Avalon (Road). I wanted to find something that was easy for people to remember, that had some kind of connection with Lawrence, but something that spoke to what we’re trying to do with the facility.”
Located next to Centennial Park, Avalon could also provide an opportunity for residents to connect with nature, Hawley said. The outdoor pool will be available for seasonal use, and plans for fenced-in basketball and pickleball courts also are on tap.
Hawley has worked in commercial and residential real estate, as a program manager with Architectural Titanium, and he owns Papa Keno’s in downtown Lawrence. In 2023, he presented testimony to the Kansas Legislature’s Special Committee on Homelessness.
Thakker is a general contractor who serves on the board of Family Promise of Lawrence and is co-founder of Eudora’s Anchored Collective, a nonprofit resource hub that provides free services and meeting spaces.
Hawley and Thakker said they’ve partnered on restaurant buildouts and shared interests in community organizations such as Lawrence Community Shelter. Although this is their first foray into building a business to treat substance use disorders, they said they’re up to the task and will have the support of an experienced, professional staff. Hawley himself has been in recovery for 21 years.
The people who’ve invested in Avalon Wellness & Recovery are connected to the Douglas County community and genuinely want to help people change the course of their lives, Hawley said. The group has committed to providing case management and mental health services that address the whole person, not just their addiction, he said.
“It’s not just about us turning out patients.”
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Tricia Masenthin (she/her), equity reporter, can be reached at tmasenthin (at) lawrencekstimes (dot) com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
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