Topping Off event set for new regional behavioral health center
Published on June 26, 2025
Cabarrus County will mark a milestone in the construction of the Stephen M. Morris Behavioral Health Center with a topping off event on Tuesday, July 1 at 11 a.m.
Hosted onsite at the future home of the center at 1000 Progress Place in Concord, the event celebrates the placement of the final steel beam—a significant moment in the construction process that symbolizes the completion of a building’s structural framework.
The ceremony marks the first official public introduction to the new building, and attendees are invited to place their signature on the final beam while enjoying light refreshments.
Following a brief ceremony, crews will raise the final steel beam and place it in the structure.
The new 59,300-square-foot facility will serve as a cornerstone for mental health and wellness in the region, offering a comprehensive continuum of care. Services will include a behavioral health urgent care center for children and adults, a child and adolescent psychiatric residential treatment facility and a facility-based crisis program for children and adolescents.
Cabarrus County Assistant County Manager Dr. Aalece Pugh and the Cabarrus Behavioral Health department are working closely with Albemarle-based Monarch to develop exceptional behavioral health programming for the state-of-the-art facility.
On a recent episode of Cabarrus County’s Did Y’all Hear? podcast, host Dominique Clark interviewed Monarch CEO Peggy Terhune and Cabarrus County Behavioral Health Director Kamilah McKissick about plans for the center.
The facility was designed by human eXperience, a Charlotte-based architectural firm. Messer Construction is building the center, which is tentatively scheduled to open in late 2026.
The community is invited to watch the event via livestream on the County’s Facebook page.
For additional details and updates on the center, visit cabarruscounty.us/CabGo to find links to all the County’s social media and other communication channels.