Ground broken for Community Center at Health Department

Posted August 17, 2014 11:00 pm

Dave Hass

Members of the DuPage County Board of Health, DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin, DuPage County Health Department (DCHD) Leadership and the Board of Directors for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) DuPage took part in a groundbreaking ceremony for a new Community Center on Thursday (Aug. 14) afternoon.

The Community Center will be built on property to the east of the existing DCHD Central Office on the DuPage County Government campus in Wheaton. The building will be 33,000 square feet and will include 133 parking spaces. The estimated cost is $11 million and it will be fully funded by the Health Department.

"The Community Center signals a new direction of healthcare at the Health Department. This facility will allow the Department to expand public health services to provide and really embrace integrated care opportunities, including wellness and recovery for all county residents," said Linda Kurzawa, President of the Board of Health.

Chairman Cronin called the event "an historic day for DuPage County and the Health Department. This Community Center is a model program of shared services and a public and private partnership that benefits the entire community."

Karen Ayala, Executive Director of the Health Department, added: "Our intent is to offer a comprehensive approach to wellness that includes support, socialization and recreation, to all DCHD clients, as well as our staff and the entire community."

Ayala noted that DCHD's 24-hour crisis services will be transitioned to the Community Center, along with vocational training and psychological rehabilitation programs from its Transitional Services Center. Community Center construction is expected to be completed in fall, 2015.

Wight & Company has been a valued partner in this project and has provided architectural design and engineering services for the Community Center, and was also selected to provide construction management services.

For more information on the Health Department, follow us on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, or visit www.dupagehealth.org.

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