Wadena awarded DEED grant for wellness center

The Wadena Regional Wellness Center project was awarded $4.2 million from the DEED Capital Projects Grant Program, making Gov. Mark Dayton's final choices today (Thursday).

"We are extremely ecstatic," Mayor Wayne Wolden said.

The award amount was short of the $4.625 million asked for, but Wolden said the private fundraising efforts had gone very well and a wellness center will be built.

Wolden said he heard the news first from State Senator Gretchen Hoffman (R-Vergas) prior to the official 11 a.m. announcement, and it was later confirmed by J.D. Burton of lobbying firm Flaherty and Hood.

A groundbreaking date for the wellness center will be set later.

See a full article in Saturday's issue of the Wadena Pioneer Journal.