Portage Health Foundation requests community feedback for multi-use community wellness campus concept

HANCOCK, Mich. (WLUC) - After years of considering the idea, the Portage Health Foundation (PHF) is beginning to take the first steps toward the creation of a multi-use community wellness campus.

The multimillion-dollar facility would be focused on human outreach and recreational services.

“There’s a number of different facets on how this would certainly benefit the regional economy and the regional community,” said PHF Executive Director Kevin Store. “We’re just grateful to be at a point where we can start exploring that and see if we can make it a reality.”

In order to remain unbiased and in tune with the community’s needs, PHF has opened up a community-wide survey to receive feedback on the idea.

“Right now, we’re asking for the community members to fill out a survey,” said PHF Chairperson Bernadette Yeoman-Ouelette. “We would like for community members to tell us what they feel is important to have in a wellness campus such as this. So maybe with that understanding, we can tailor this campus to meet those needs.”

As of Tuesday afternoon, PHF has received 88 feedback submissions expressing a wide range of opinions. This includes approval of the idea to questions and concerns regarding location and costs.

Many submissions also include a public swimming pool as a feature of the facility.

“In most of them, a public-accessible swimming pool for youth programs and water therapy and those types of things keeps coming to the top,” continued Store.

This does not mean the guarantee of a pool in the facility, however.

With the deadline for the survey submissions being Jan. 31, the foundation strongly encourages even more feedback.

“The more feedback we get, the better idea we have of what is needed in our community,” continued Yeoman-Ouelette. “And will allow us to move forward with this project.”

For how to fill out the survey and for more information, check out the projects page on the foundation’s website by clicking here.

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