When Greater Bemidji agreed to partner with Sanford Health to advance Bemidji’s vision for a wellness center, I said, “We can definitely get there, but we’ll probably take the scenic route.” I remember sharing my confidence.
I’m often wrong, but this time I certainly was.
Like all major community projects of this size, the Wellness Project has had its fair share of hurdles and starts and stops. Some days the vision moves forward, and other days it feels like “one step forward, two steps back.”
We are excited to share today that the Wellness Center took a big step forward this week with the announcement of a strategic partnership with the YMCA of Cass and Clay Counties in Greater Bemidji and Fargo Counties. With this announcement, the vision became clearer and more likely to come true.
Before we explain why the YMCA was chosen as our partner and what that means for the project, let us recall the background of the project.
Several years ago, Sanford Health approached Greater Bemidji for a partnership to bring a wellness facility to the Bemidji area. Sanford offered to start a community fundraiser with an unprecedented $10 million gift, but he also offered to own and operate the facility.
Greater Bemidji agreed to the partnership on the condition that the wellness center would not be publicly owned or operated and would be located in the downtown Bemidji rail corridor redevelopment area. With that in mind, we jumped in.
Sanford Health did a great job of engaging with the community and hosting an opportunity for public input. Work has begun to create a site and building design. Programming decisions began. An all-volunteer group launched a successful initiative to raise an additional $15 million for her.
The city pursued both a cleanup of the railroad corridor site and a public infrastructure project. Everything was progressing positively.
One step forward… Two steps back.
It goes back to last summer. Sanford Health has announced that it will not be able to operate its Wellness Center as planned due to challenges faced by local health care. They remained a valued partner and their $10 million gift to the Wellness Center also remained in place. As you can imagine, this was a significant blow to the project. In fact, it was almost a fatal blow.
But because the proposed wellness center and rail corridor redevelopment will have significant long-term impacts, the Greater Bemidji Board of Directors agreed to take over the baton of project leadership. This is a pretty bold decision for a small nonprofit.
Since assuming leadership of the project, Greater Bemidji has paused funding and development efforts on the project until key questions are answered. Even if a wellness center could be built, who would have the experience and expertise to run it successfully?
The project has been quiet for the past six months, but let me assure you that the work has not stopped. Greater Bemidji believed in the mission of this initiative and was looking for a strategic partner who was the perfect fit for our community.
After an RFP process, extensive reviews and interviews, the strategic partner was identified as the YMCA.
There are several reasons why the Cass and Clay County YMCAs rose to the top. They have outstanding mission-driven leadership, which aligns with our own mission. They have several wellness centers under their umbrella, including one in Fergus Falls.
They also operate youth camps and are the largest child care provider in North Dakota. The company already has a partnership with Sanford Health. Because they are financially strong, they have proposed a membership fee structure that welcomes all community members to use their facilities. Finally, they are willing to fully invest their time, energy, and resources in the Bemidji community.
After six months of searching, we are confident that we have found the right strategic partner. This is a huge step forward for the project. As a private nonprofit organization, partnering with the YMCA maintains our commitment to ensuring that our facilities are not owned or operated by the city or other public entity.
This means we can resume on-site work, building design, facility programming, and fundraising. In the future, we would like to move forward with the plan at a rapid pace. Ultimately, we leverage YMCA expertise to design and build facilities that meet the needs of as many communities as possible while remaining financially affordable and sustainable.
The next important step is to raise the remaining funds needed to construct the facility. This will be the largest local fundraiser in our community’s history. Success requires the participation and commitment of all members of the community.
That may mean giving more than ever, as our pacesetter donors are already doing. Details on how to donate will be announced in the coming weeks.
As we consider this project, there will be starts and stops and hurdles, but please don’t lose sight of the exponential impact this will have on our community. Promote health for young people, families, and older adults.
Development of the rail corridor could potentially attract more than $90 million in private investment and generate tax revenue. This will encourage workers to move (and stay) in Bemidji and increase tourism to the area. Finally, it will reinvigorate an already vibrant downtown area. This project will change the future trajectory of our community.
I would like to conclude with a personal story. As I mentioned earlier, this project was difficult and faced many challenges. I was asked the other day what is driving Greater Bemidji to move this forward.
There is no doubt that the above influences clearly speak to us and are central to our mission in economic development. However, I would argue that our greatest motivation is not the macro impact, but the personal stories and encouragement from community members.
Last summer, I received a handwritten note in the mail. The author will remain anonymous, but it was written by a senior who lives near downtown.
she wrote:
“Hello, welcome to the wellness center of my dreams. I am retired and a big believer in wellness centers like the YMCA with an indoor pool. I would like to make a small donation here and wish you all the best.
Enclosed in the note was a check for $25. No doubt, it was a significant amount of money for her. She has since sent another one.
You may choose the scenic route, but you’ll get there. Our community deserves it.
Dave Hengel is the executive director of Greater Bemidji Economic Development. You can contact him at:
(218) 444-5757
or
dhengel@greaterbemidji.com.
