News
Lakeland Mental Health breaks ground on new building
04/28/2009
Staff with Lakeland Mental Health Center (LMHC) broke ground Monday on a new facility designed to meet the growing needs of area clients.
Currently located at the corner of East Alcott and Cascade Avenues, LMHC is scheduled to open a new facility along County Highway 1 near RDO Equipment in January 2010. The Fergus Falls location is one of four Lakeland offices providing mental health care services to communities in west central Minnesota.
The size of LMHC staff has grown significantly since the East Alcott office opened in 1966, said Clair Prody, executive director. So has the needs of local residents. In all, LMHC offices serve over 6,000 people annually.
The new two-story building will include 16 treatment offices and three group rooms for use by clients and the 68-member staff. The building is designed to allow for the addition of a third story in the future.
Architects have also incorporated “green” components into the building’s design and construction. The building will utilize high performance glass, natural sun shading from nearby trees and a ground source heat pump system. During construction, workers will try to reduce the amount of runoff and waste, and in completion, the building will be surrounded by wildflowers and prairie grasses.
Architects with Shultz and Associates Ltd. are pursuing certification through the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, available through the U.S. Green Building Council.
When complete, the building will sit nestled among trees and overlooking a wetland area, an environment that’s appropriate for Lakeland’s line of work, Prody said.
“We like the setting of being in the woods,” he said.
By Lauren Radomski : The Daily Journal
