If there are fears that The Healing Place will do more harm than good in Huntington, Clyde Harper isn't offended.

No matter what community the substance abuse recovery center moves into, the concerns are the same, he says: Crime will spike, shady characters will roam the neighborhood and the center will be an eyesore.

"Of course, none of that ever happens," says Harper, training coordinator for The Healing Place in Louisville, Ky. "The people who are afraid of us are thinking of the face of addiction. But if you're in a recovery center, you aren't in a state of addiction."

Thus far, there has been little opposition to establishing a Healing Place in Huntington. Those involved in the planning phase - state lawmakers, substance abuse experts, faith-based leaders and area residents whose lives have been affected by addiction - make up a broad range of support.

Within the past month, they have gotten a vote of confidence in the form of resolutions from the Cabell County Commission and Huntington City Council. But some of the public comments have not been pleasant.

Former City Councilman Tom McCallister, who is planning an independent run for mayor in the fall, said during a council meeting last week that he's convinced The Healing Place will be a "cancerous growth" in whichever neighborhood it locates.

Jay Davidson, president and chief executive officer of The Healing Place in Louisville, said there is always some degree of apprehension, fear or distrust when residents find out his program is moving to their town. The Healing Place model has been replicated in 12 other Kentucky cities as well as Richmond, Va., and Raleigh, N.C.

"The way we overcome this fear is by bringing in graduates who are willing to go to community meetings and say, 'I used to be like the people who are bringing your community down now, but I've overcome my addiction problems with this model,' " Davidson said.

Louisville Deputy Mayor Bill Summers said The Healing Place always has worked well with the city. The center is an asset in that it rehabilitates people into productive community members, he said.

A Healing Place graduate runs one of the most effective youth programs in Louisville, Summers said.

The center also helps Louisville from a policing standpoint.

"If it weren't for The Healing Place, our officers would be spending hours upon hours every year arresting people with addiction problems and putting them into a system that they don't belong in," Summers said.

Louisville provides The Healing Place with $186,000 annually, which Summers believes is a good investment considering the benefits. It also helped the center obtain $800,000 in federal grant money earlier this year for a new women's facility.

Emergency responders are so appreciative of The Healing Place that the Louisville Police and Fire departments have a charity basketball game every year in which all of the proceeds go to the center, Summers said.

"Once The Healing Place moves into a town and the public sees that it's not what they think it is, they get over it and life goes on," he said.

Only a handful of businesses are near the Healing Place in Louisville. It sits just a few blocks away from the downtown in an area that was once an industrial center.

However, there are signs of revitalization, and The Healing Place is part of making that happen, said Cathy Shannon, vice president of marketing for E&S Gallery. The upscale art gallery is located about a half-block away from The Healing Place.

Shannon said The Healing Place's residents are always courteous to her customers and never litter. The gallery shows its appreciation by donating food to The Healing Place, she said.

"We moved here in 2004 and initially thought it might be a problem," Shannon said. "But it's been the exact opposite. The clients they serve are far from someone who would cause problems."