Community Health and Wellness Center

The City will build a new Community Health and Wellness Center to replace the Bloomington Public Health and Creekside Community Center buildings, which were built in the 1960s and are too small and outdated to serve the growing and evolving needs of residents.

A new Community Health and Wellness Center will strengthen access to health and wellness programs for our diverse region. The new facility will more effectively support public health services including immunizations, nutrition education, pregnancy and parenting education, older adult health resources and more.

Further, the new center will provide flexible gathering spaces and activities for community members of all ages and backgrounds, including older adults, families and those with disabilities.

The Community Health and Wellness Center would support a wide range of recreational, fitness and health activities. Since it would be significantly larger than the current Creekside and Public Health buildings combined, more recreational amenities could be added. Possible amenities include gymnasiums, a walking track, pool, indoor playground, multi-purpose rooms, and exercise spaces. There will be a significant amount of public engagement to inform the design and use of the facility.

It will depend on the type of activity. Most city-run community centers have a mix of monthly and annual membership fees as well as daily and weekly passes for use of their fitness centers, pools and gymnasiums. To ensure accessibility, fees may include a sliding fee scale and variable pricing for programs depending upon a customer’s ability to pay. Generally, all of the fees in community centers go toward the cost of operations.

An architect will be hired in early 2024 and community engagement will begin shortly thereafter.

It is expected that the operating cost will be higher than the current Creekside and Public Health facilities since the new Community Health and Wellness Center will be three times larger than the existing buildings. What is unknown is the amount of revenue that would offset the operating costs of a new facility and the ancillary benefits to the community that would come from it. In 2024, The City will engage residents to find out what amenities the community desires in a Community Health and Wellness Center. This public input will help to shape the final plans and provide a better idea of the operating costs.

The facility will be built to ensure adequate parking for users. In 2024, an extensive public engagement process will begin. This input will help us decide exactly what amenities will be included in the project. Depending on the final program of activities, the final layout and type of parking will be determined.

A feasibility study helps determine whether ideas for a new project are possible and make sense. PROS Consulting will conduct a feasibility study for the City to help us imagine what a new Community Health and Wellness Center will look like. They will gather input through meetings, surveys, and other methods to find out what residents want and need in the new center. They will also look for potential partners who might help make the center a success.

This preliminary study will kick off the community engagement process for facility design and will be updated as we move through additional community engagement and the design process in 2024 and 2025.

Here’s what the City and PROS Consulting will do during the feasibility study:

• We will analyze information about the people in the area, what other similar places are offering, how much money the center might make, and how many people might use the center.

• We will listen to what people in the community think. We'll gather opinions from residents, people who might use the center, leaders, and others through meetings, online comments and surveys. We will provide multiple opportunities for people to share their thoughts.

• We will identify the main programs and activities the center will offer.

• We will identify space requirements for core programs using the information we've gathered.

• We will produce a preliminary operational and financial plan to identify how the center will operate day to day. The plan will provide direction on operational standards, facility costs, hours of operation, maintenance, staffing levels, technology and customer service requirements, and potential partners.

• We will produce a preliminary pricing plan that explores how much to charge for programs and services, how to use the space efficiently, and overall financial planning.

In 2024, the project will enter a design phase where a wide range of energy savings and environmental approaches will be considered – including the potential installation of solar panels.

The Bloomington Public Health Division provides health services to a population of nearly 180,000 residents across Bloomington, Richfield and Edina. Additionally, Bloomington Public Health serves people who work in and visit these communities. This tri-city relationship has been in place since 1977.

In addition to providing direct services from the Public Health Center, Bloomington Public Health works to improve the health of the whole community. For example, Bloomington Public Health:

• Supports the Bloomington School District with health data and other resources to support student health.

• Delivered more than 20,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine during the pandemic to residents, mostly from Civic Plaza.

• Leads the way in putting forth strong policies that protect our kids from the harms of commercial tobacco products.

A healthy community is good for everyone who lives in Bloomington. And when people are healthy, they can better contribute to their families, the local economy and the larger community.

Yes. Ideally, some outdoor park elements will be included as part of the Community Health and Wellness Center campus.