City of Powell considering health, wellness center

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Part of the City of Powell’s Comprehensive Plan calls for the exploration of a community recreation center, and it appears the city will be doing just that. During Tuesday’s Powell City Council meeting, council members considered an ordinance for the city to enter into an agreement with Integrated Wellness Partners and Signet Enterprises to perform a wellness feasibility study for the city.

The study, if approved, would serve as a first phase that would include a needs assessment, market study, core program identification, base facility building program, operations and staffing plan, operating pro forma, and project narrative for medical fitness. The process of completing the study would take anywhere from 90 to 120 days.

In a memo from City Manager Andrew White to council members, he states, “The comprehensive plan encourages the city to initiate a community recreation center feasibility study, identify a preferred location, and recognize a co-location and/or partnership opportunities.”

As part of the study proposal, Integrated Wellness Partners has agreed to underwrite 50% of its standard $60,000 for the study. If approved, the study will cost the city $30,000 to conduct. White said of the lowered cost of the study, “I think this is a smart, nonrecurring investment that will play out well for the community’s development in the future.”

White added, “I was very impressed with what we were able to see and excited that the company was willing to waive some of the costs because of the excitement they felt for the potential of our community.”

According to White, Integrated Wellness Partners has upwards of 20 wellness facilities around the country, including partnering with the City of New Albany to create the Philip Heit Center for Healthy New Albany.

“There’s nothing like this time we’re in right now to really implore and really bolster everyone’s ability for health and wellness, so I’m very excited about the opportunity to have the study done,” Councilman Brian Lorenz said during Tuesday’s meeting.

Lorenz pointed out the study doesn’t necessarily mean the city is delivering on a community recreation center. Rather, an agreement to do the study would simply mean the city is making good on the comprehensive plan’s suggestion to explore those options.

“Having these plans like the comprehensive plan and the Keep Powell Moving plan, these are things that we need to utilize,” Lorenz said. “They’re living documents, and it’s exciting to have the opportunity to further that down the road.”

The ordinance will go to a second reading for further discussion, including representation from Integrated Wellness Partners, which will be held during the council meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 5.

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By Dillon Davis

[email protected]

Reach Dillon Davis at 740-413-0904. Follow him on Twitter @DillonDavis56.

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