Buffett Foundation Giving $30M For Decatur Drug Treatment Campus

DECATUR, IL — Macon County Sheriff Howard Buffett's private foundation is going to invest $30 million in a 17-acre health care and social services campus aimed helping those with drug addictions. Buffett, oldest son of billionaire investor and Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett, made the announcement Wednesday on the four new facilities that will be located between Central Avenue and Marietta Streets, and will be owned by Crossing Healthcare, Herald and Review reported. Crossing Healthcare is federally qualified clinic serving low-and moderate-income residents, and the new campus will make Macon County residents a priority for drug addiction treatment.

The "Community Care Campus" will include a 31,000-square-foot detox and rehab facility, exercise facility, movie theater, park-like setting, dental clinic, and much more, Herald and Review reported.

Although a groundbreaking date hasn't been determined, Herald and Review reported the Buffett Foundation said about 200 jobs are expected to be created during the construction phase, which will be covered by the $30 donation. Once completed, Crossing CEO Tanya Andricks said they'll roughly double their full-time employment to 200 employees.

Patch reported back in February that according to the Illinois Department of Public Health, there were 1,946 opioid overdose deaths in Illinois in 2016, and a state report shows that prescription opioid overdose deaths quadrupled between 2013 and 2016.

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