By Joe Morey
News Editor
The LCO Tribal Governing Board unanimously approved designating a 20 to 25-acre parcel of land in the fields on Hwy K south of the casino for a future Lac Courte Oreilles Community Health Center and Fitness Center.
The Resolution states approving the land designation is the most important step to begin the process of developing new health and fitness centers, after which the current health center has been operating at LCO for 33 years as a fully accredited health care facility.
At a recent weekly TGB meeting, members agreed the new health center should be back from Hwy K closer to the wood line and between the “Mike on a Bike” bicycle trail and the LCO Police Department and Public Works buildings.
LCO TGB Member, Michelle Beaudin, explained the designated land called for the fitness center to be closer to the bike trail with the health center south of that. The fitness center would have access to the trail system, she added.
Beaudin also said the future master plan for the area will include a plan for a nursing home to be located on the campus, behind the health center.
“We also need to designate this area for the new health center because water and sewer are already there,” added LCO Secretary-Treasurer Tweed Shuman.
According to Tom Tainter of the ARPA team, Health Director Gary Girard provided a request to them for the land which had a plan for a 45,000 square foot health center facility with a parking lot large enough to accommodate 220 vehicles (parking spots), not including the fitness center.