Baltimore drug treatment nonprofit wins $200K grant for facility upgrades, new cafe

Tuerk House, a nonprofit drug and alcohol treatment system serving disadvantaged members of the greater Baltimore community, has been awarded a grant of $200,000 from The France-Merrick Foundation, officials announced Wednesday.

The funds will be used to help Tuerk House complete a $3.1 million renovation project at its main campus, located at 730 Ashburton St., including the renovation and fit-out of the kitchen and food service area, to be known as The France-Merrick Cafe.

The France-Merrick Cafe will include a state-of-the-art kitchen and serving area to help provide Tuerk House clients with more healthy food options during their treatment. This portion of the multiyear project is currently in the design and planning phase, with construction expected to begin this fall.

The third phase of the main campus renovation at Tuerk House will also include the separation of the women’s and men’s residential wings, upgrading the laundry facilities, reconfiguring the living suite and lounge areas and creating additional private space for clinical staff and counselors to work confidentially with clients. Though this phase of the project will primarily serve Tuerk House’s residential, transitional and outpatient clients, the construction management team is designing the food preparation and service areas, dining room and multipurpose room to be of greater service to the Baltimore community for outreach and programmatic use.

In addition to the grant, Tuerk House has also received support for this project from the Weinberg Foundation, the Abell Foundation and The Middendorf Foundation. These grant opportunities were made possible by an initial seed grant from the Maryland Department of Health.

The $10.2 million renovation project aiming to transform Tuerk House’s decades-old facility into a state-of-the-art addiction treatment center is planned to be completed in four total phases by 2022.

Phase I of the project, which created an all-new residential area and added 24 additional patient beds on the building’s third floor, was completed in fall 2020.

Phase II, nearing completion, is a 6,380-square-foot, two-floor wing addition inclusive of new living and treatment spaces and a new dining room. Tuerk House is seeking donations to fund the project’s completion. Donations can be made online at TuerkHouse.org.