ROCHESTER — A former Rochester workout club may have a new life as a hub for people seeking mental health and substance use disorder services.
Zumbro Valley Health Center , a nonprofit organization that provides mental health, substance use disorder, and community-based services to 12 counties in southeastern Minnesota, has filed for building permits to revamp the former Northgate Health Club facility at 1112 Seventh St. NW.
“We’re running out of space,” said Zumbro Valley Chief Executive Officer Beth Krehbiel. “We needed a more centrally located, more walkable location. This is a good spot with lots of parking and it is on three bus lines.”
The organization has three locations in Rochester and one office in Harmony.
While the project is in the very early stages of getting city approval, Krehbiel hopes to be able to renovate the former workout center and have it ready for use by the fall, possibly September or October. She estimates that possibly 125 employees could provide mental health, housing and other services there.
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That 24,000-square-foot space has been empty since Northgate Health Club moved to the Maplewood Square shopping center . The building, which is next to the Northgate Center complex, had housed a health club for more than 50 years.
Don Prow, the owner of the Northgate Center property, filled in the former pool space inside the building in 2022.
“It is kind of an open big square now, which is good for us. It is a really flexible space,” said Krehbiel.
Rochester’s CRW architecture + design group and Knutson Construction are working with Zumbro Valley Health Center on this project.
If the project goes forward as planned, Zumbro Valley plans to reach out to the neighborhood about the center.
“We really want to be good neighbors, so we’ll seek out community input,” she said.
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