Ho-Chunk Nation breaks ground for new community center
The Ho-Chunk Nation broke ground last week for a new $15 million community center that is set to open next year.
Officials gathered for the Friday ceremony to celebrate the start of construction for the District 1 Community Center, which will be situated in the West Sand Pillow development east of Black River Falls.
“This has been a long time coming,” Ho-Chunk Nation President Wilfrid Cleveland said before offering the event’s opening prayer. “We came this far with it, so I’m grateful.”
The new District 1 Community Center will replace its former counterpart near Ho-Chunk Gaming that opened in the late 1990s and provided a space for youth services, recreational and cultural programming in addition to some space for sports.
The Nation a few years ago began considering building a new facility because of the aging current building and its associated maintenance costs. The new facility has more space and areas for community education, youth services and athletics to allow for both collaboration and separate spaces as needed for events and programming.
The youth center will include classrooms, office space, a kitchen area and a multi-purpose gymnasium, and there is a tournament size gym with locker rooms, a fitness center and track for athletic programming. There also are computer labs, classrooms and offices and meeting areas for community education.
“We were excited to be (involved),” Alyssa Campbell of architecture firm I&S Group said of the collaboration with the Nation during the design process. “It was an awesome experience.”
The construction of the new community center comes as the Nation also looks to break ground for $153 million in upgrades and expansions to three of its casino locations, including the Black River Falls site. Miron Construction, which has been selected for construction for both projects, soon will start work on the community center, which is pegged to be open by October 2017.
“We’re really excited to bring your passion … and take this dream and make it a reality,” said Jason Recob of Miron Construction. “It’s going to be a beautiful (project) for the community.”
Greg Blackdeer, one of the Nation’s District 1 representatives, called the groundbreaking ceremony a “joyous event,” which will help serve youth and community members for years to come.
He credited and thanked other district legislators for their support of the funding necessary to move the community center project forward.
“It was a long, uphill battle,” he said. “Without their support, we wouldn’t be here today.”
The new District 1 Community Center is near a proposed Ho-Chunk Nation residential development. Both sit alongside two newly developed roadways, which tribal members will help name, Blackdeer said.
Reported by: Lacrossetribune.com
Officials gathered for the Friday ceremony to celebrate the start of construction for the District 1 Community Center, which will be situated in the West Sand Pillow development east of Black River Falls.
“This has been a long time coming,” Ho-Chunk Nation President Wilfrid Cleveland said before offering the event’s opening prayer. “We came this far with it, so I’m grateful.”
The new District 1 Community Center will replace its former counterpart near Ho-Chunk Gaming that opened in the late 1990s and provided a space for youth services, recreational and cultural programming in addition to some space for sports.
The Nation a few years ago began considering building a new facility because of the aging current building and its associated maintenance costs. The new facility has more space and areas for community education, youth services and athletics to allow for both collaboration and separate spaces as needed for events and programming.
The youth center will include classrooms, office space, a kitchen area and a multi-purpose gymnasium, and there is a tournament size gym with locker rooms, a fitness center and track for athletic programming. There also are computer labs, classrooms and offices and meeting areas for community education.
“We were excited to be (involved),” Alyssa Campbell of architecture firm I&S Group said of the collaboration with the Nation during the design process. “It was an awesome experience.”
The construction of the new community center comes as the Nation also looks to break ground for $153 million in upgrades and expansions to three of its casino locations, including the Black River Falls site. Miron Construction, which has been selected for construction for both projects, soon will start work on the community center, which is pegged to be open by October 2017.
“We’re really excited to bring your passion … and take this dream and make it a reality,” said Jason Recob of Miron Construction. “It’s going to be a beautiful (project) for the community.”
Greg Blackdeer, one of the Nation’s District 1 representatives, called the groundbreaking ceremony a “joyous event,” which will help serve youth and community members for years to come.
He credited and thanked other district legislators for their support of the funding necessary to move the community center project forward.
“It was a long, uphill battle,” he said. “Without their support, we wouldn’t be here today.”
The new District 1 Community Center is near a proposed Ho-Chunk Nation residential development. Both sit alongside two newly developed roadways, which tribal members will help name, Blackdeer said.
Reported by: Lacrossetribune.com
