NNPH Behavioral Health Center
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Restoring a Critical Resource
A long-vacant healthcare facility along East Ninth Street is being reimagined to meet one of Northern Nevada’s most urgent needs. Once home to a private behavioral health hospital, the former West Hills property is now undergoing a comprehensive transformation into a publicly accessible behavioral health center that expands care options for youth and families across the region. By reusing an existing structure, Washoe County and Northern Nevada Public Health (NNPH) are accelerating delivery while reducing environmental impact and making efficient use of public investment.
Early Insight Through CM-at-Risk Collaboration
Engagement began early under a CM-at-Risk delivery model, allowing the construction team to work alongside Washoe County and H+K Architects to evaluate how the building could be adapted for modern behavioral health services. Having sat empty for years, the facility required careful verification before design decisions could move forward. Advanced 3D BIM scanning, performed by Plenium Builders’ in-house virtual construction management team, captured the interior layout and existing systems in detail, providing a reliable digital baseline for coordination, estimating, and phased planning. That early clarity helped the team confirm reuse opportunities while identifying systems that required full replacement.
Rebuilding Systems for Modern Care
Construction now underway focuses on a comprehensive renewal of building systems and infrastructure. Mechanical and electrical systems are being fully modernized to support current healthcare standards, alongside roof and building envelope replacement. Life safety, communications, and security upgrades are integrated throughout the facility, creating a safe, resilient environment for both patients and staff. Within the existing footprint, interior spaces are being reconfigured to support inpatient behavioral health programs, clinical and group therapy areas, educational classrooms, and staff support functions, all designed to promote dignity, healing, and flexibility.
Executing Work in an Urban Setting
Located near a busy corridor and community event venues, the site required thoughtful logistics planning despite the absence of active operations within the building itself. Selective demolition, controlled sequencing, and early procurement of long-lead components were planned during preconstruction and are now being executed to maintain schedule alignment. State and federal funding adds an additional layer of accountability, addressed through disciplined cost tracking, transparent reporting, and early trade partner involvement.
Collaboration That Carries Through Construction
As the project advances, collaboration remains central to delivery. The client, architect, and construction team continue to use shared digital models to coordinate systems and resolve field conditions efficiently. That ongoing alignment ensures that every upgrade, whether structural, mechanical, or architectural, supports the broader mission of the facility.
More than a renovation, this project represents a reinvestment in community capacity. By restoring and modernizing an existing healthcare building, Washoe County is expanding access to behavioral health services while creating a center that supports treatment, education, and workforce development. The result will be a facility positioned to serve Northern Nevada with care, stability, and purpose for years to come.
