After rising construction costs halted the Betty Ford Center's plans for a $30 million campus renovation in recent years, the renowned Rancho Mirage addiction treatment facility pivoted, and is now offering
a first look at what's to come.
Susan Ford Bales, the daughter of former President Gerald Ford and first lady Betty Ford, Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation staff and Betty Ford Center alumni attended a special stakeholder event on Tuesday, Sept. 29, to unveil renderings of future buildings and the timeline for construction. The estimated $40 million campus project will include building a new residential facility and dining hall, upgrading the existing four residential buildings and adding counseling and group space.
All construction is anticipated to be completed by the first half of 2029.
The Betty Ford Center, located on a portion of the Eisenhower Health campus but not affiliated with the hospital, is a private, nonprofit drug and alcohol treatment center that provides in- and out-patient treatment as well as rehabilitation programs and virtual care. It was founded in 1982 by former first lady Ford following her own struggles with addiction.
The center operates under the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, which is the nation's leading nonprofit treatment provider with sites across the U.S., according to its website.
"My mother would be very pleased," Ford Bales said as she looked out at the crowd gathered on Tuesday. She started getting emotional as she said she always feels her mother when she returns to the Rancho Mirage campus, especially among patients, staff and families. "I see her determination in each of you, and in the end, ladies and gentlemen, a finer moment to Betty Ford there could never be."
Construction timeline
The next phase of construction includes the building of a new, one-story, 60-bed residential pavilion and a dining hall, with completion anticipated in the third quarter of 2027.
Renderings show an exterior courtyard adjacent to the dining hall where residents can socialize and enjoy the outdoors, while the interior includes several group seating areas, wooden accent walls and warm lighting. There is also a children and family dining room planned.
The new residential hall will be a mainly white building with a green tile accent wall, according to renderings, and it will also feature desert landscaping by the entrance.
Instead of demolishing the four existing residential halls, the Betty Ford Center will renovate them. Modifications won't begin on the current halls until the new one is complete, licensed and operational. Upgrades will include new furniture in the bedrooms and bathroom renovations, among others. Work is estimated to be completed during the first half of 2029.
The current dining hall will be turned into a community center to host local Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and other events. Expanded fitness and wellness areas are also anticipated, as well as amplifying the campus' research arm and graduate school.
"We're excited about not just the building, but what it represents and the services it can bring to the community," Dr. Joseph Lee, president and CEO of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, said. "We really believe that healing encapsulates the community and involves people adjacent to the person getting treatment."
Lee added that new programs and/or services may also be announced in the future.
"Mom believed (that) people struggling with addiction deserve dignity, compassion and, most of all, honesty. She believed in talking openly about addiction and recovery," Ford Bales said. "Her honesty made it possible for others to begin their recovery. To paraphrase one historian, when it comes to treatment and recovery, there are two very distinct periods: before Betty and after Betty."
How did we get here?
Back in 2021, the center was ready to embark on a four-year, $30 million project — the most significant expansion since it was established in 1982 — which would have increased its campus footprint and the number of beds available to patients. Construction of new buildings was scheduled for completion in 2025.
The center celebrated the opening of its new entrance in June 2022. However, no new construction took place afterward.
The Desert Sun reported earlier this summer that costs began to skyrocket as the project was set to move into the next phase of construction, which led to the decision to halt work in November 2023. During that multi-year pause, staff discussed the best course of action to reduce costs while still making modifications.
Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com, on X @ema_sasic or on Instagram @emasasic.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: The Betty Ford Center is about to get a huge upgrade. What to know
