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NorthJersey.com
A long-stalled project to convert the historic Mount St. Francis convent site in Ringwood into a substance abuse treatment facility is moving forward under new ownership.
Avatar Residential Detox Center, a New Jersey-based treatment provider with an existing facility nearby on Morris Road, acquired the property in an $8.1 million deal and is working to complete construction of the inpatient facility by the end of the year, borough officials said.
Located off Sloatsburg Road, the 92-acre estate was previously owned by Tennessee-based American Addiction Centers (AAC), which had initially planned a $16 million site redevelopment project. Construction was expected to wrap up in 2018 but stalled.
Steel framing was erected for a 65,000-square-foot expansion on the old granite mansion but little progress was made beyond that point. Borough Manager Scott Heck confirmed that steel is once again being erected as work resumes under Avatar’s ownership.
The facility is expected to operate as an inpatient detox and long-term care center under Avatar similar to the AAC proposal, according to borough records. Project engineer Jeffrey Houser told the borough Planning Board that the new ownership intends to complete the development in line with prior approvals, though the number of beds would be reduced from 150 to 95.
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Despite the change, Houser said the original site improvements, including the septic system, stormwater basin and structural framework, will remain intact. The septic system, steel structure and treatment plant will undergo inspections and any necessary repairs before the facility is certified for operation, he said.
The convent site, which overlooks Ringwood State Park, has a long history that includes decades as a retreat for the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia. The mansion was originally constructed in the early 1860s as a private retreat for Edmund Miller, business partner of Abram Hewitt of nearby Ringwood Manor.
Miller's grandson, former borough treasurer and Mayor Norvin Hewitt Green, sold the property to the Catholic order of Capuchin Sisters for $1 in 1930. It served as a convent and private retirement home for 80 years before it was closed. AAC bought the site in 2015 for $6.4 million.
AAC had intended to convert the property into a major treatment center, featuring a restored Victorian-era manor and a four-story addition to accommodate 150 beds. The project was approved by the borough planning board, and initial construction began, but financial troubles at AAC led to the project’s suspension. By 2019, the company sought to sell the site to pay down debt, listing it as a potential $20 million asset, though tax assessments valued the property at less than $4.5 million.
Despite the delays, borough officials remained supportive of completing the facility. Ringwood officials had previously included the convent site in an area redevelopment study but ultimately extended approvals for its use as a detox center.
The Planning Board approved an extension of the final site plan approval, along with a soil movement permit and a developer’s agreement. Work on the site is expected to include the completion of the building, hardscaping and the installation of stormwater management infrastructure, borough records show. Avatar has also committed to maintaining the original fac?ade of the historic manor while incorporating modern treatment facilities within the expanded structure, records show.