Company cancels proposed rehab facility in Kingsbridge after community backlash

After backlash from the Kingsbridge community, a company determined to open a drug rehab facility is now taking a step back.

News 12 Staff

May 14, 2019, 4:32 PM

Updated 2,093 days ago

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After backlash from the Kingsbridge community, a company determined to open a drug rehab facility is now taking a step back.
Ekawa, LLC was hoping to open an addiction treatment facility in Kingsbridge, but after months of pushback they are calling it quits. 

The company has officially announced it will not be opening a rehab facility along Broadway.
This comes after months of controversy from the community raising concerns that this location wasn't the best spot for an addiction clinic.
Former state Sen. Jeff Klein has been in the forefront of this proposal, standing with Ekawa's officials, stating the neighborhood needs a substance abuse clinic. However, after heated meetings from elected officials and community members, the company decided it was not the right move.
The company said in a statement, “It is sad and unfortunate that in 2019, after experiencing the worst drug crisis since the crack epidemic of the 90s, local elected officials and community leaders are as intolerant of today's sufferers as those who grew up under the draconian Rockefeller drug laws."
Kingsbridge BID president, Andrew Williams says the win was to protect the families in the neighborhood. 

The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene reports that the Riverdale and Kingsbridge area ranked among the 15 worst areas for fatal opioid overdoses.