A pivotal Houston charity is celebrating a major milestone and a new hub of help. Recenter Houston (formerly known as “The Men’s Center) has announced that it will open a $20 million facility in Midtown this month to help predominantly homeless individuals recover from the diseases of alcoholism and drug addiction.

The 50,000-square-foot campus, located at 3809 Main St., is comprised of eight residential buildings on two blocks near Alabama, Main, Fannin, and Truxillo. The structure has already been recognized with two awards. The building’s architecture firm, BRAVE/Architecture, won a design award from the American Institute of Architects for architecture larger than 50,000 square feet. Meanwhile, Recenter won a 2020 Best Projects Award from Engineering News-Record — Texas/Louisiana region, and is also a finalist for Project of the Year.

Recenter, which has provided services locally for 70 years, has been selected by the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide sober-living services in support of the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Houston, according to a press release.

The building is named in honor of its leader and former board chair, the late Fred Dailey, and his wife, Susan, who continues to volunteer with the program. Fred Dailey is remembered locally as a beloved civic leader, and a CPA and personal injury attorney who practiced in Houston for more than 30 years. Dailey, who was sober for 35 years, passionately served on Recenter’s board for 10 years, serving as CEO until his death in 2018, according to Recenter.

“We will be forever grateful to so many who made this vision a reality,” Recenter CEO, Steven Brinkman, said in a statement. “The capital campaign for The Fred and Susan Dailey Building was supported by many generous individuals, and we also thank Harris County, the City of Houston, The John P. McGovern Foundation, the Fondren Foundation and The Cullen Foundation. Support also came from the U.S. Department Treasury - New Markets Tax Credit Program and the following Community Development Entities: Capital One, Urban Action Community Development, and PeopleFund. We are thrilled to be able to offer this important resource to Houston.”

Since 1950, Recenter has served more than 250,000 individuals and thus, is the largest such program in Houston. It is known as one of few centers that will admit chronically homeless individuals who suffer from chemical dependency and often lifelong co-occurring mental illness, straight off the streets. The organization expects its nearly 300 beds to be full — and remain so this fall.