By Joe Morey
News Editor
The Lac Courte Oreilles Tribal Governing Board (TGB) unanimously approved a maximum guaranteed price contract with Woodstone, Inc for construction of the new LCO Community Health Center to be built between the Sevenwinds Casino and the current LCO Police Station and CDC building on Hwy K.
The 5-0-0 vote was held at a special meeting of the TGB on April 28, 2023, with all members present except Michelle Beaudin, who was at another scheduled meeting.
The cost of the project will be over $42 million, with the Tribe committing $7 million, half from Enbridge funds and the other half from LCO Financial Services funds.
Other funding sources were not part of the vote, according to LCO Attorney General James Schlender Jr, who stated those sources haven’t been figured out yet. He explained that the vote at the special meeting was to begin phase one of the contract. He said the funding sources would be in incremental stages with the next funding coming from available grants, but that’s not yet known, and that would be followed by new market tax credits.
Schlender stated after that, bank lending would come into play for any remaining amount of the $42 million to fund the entire project.
“That’s the last component, a stop gap measure,” Schlender said. “Whatever we have remaining is when the loan kicks in.”
He noted the Tribe may not need the loan at all if enough funding comes through in the other components.
Chairman Louis Taylor said he would like to see the Tribe’s $7 million commitment looked at as more of a loan.
TGB member Don Carley said he agreed with the Chairman. “After the clinic becomes more fluid and making money a few years down the road, they can pay us back,” Carley said.
Schlender said the construction project would be in four phases with the first phase being the groundbreaking, clearing of the site and building the foundation.
“We anticipate a grand opening sometime in February or March of 2025,” Schlender added.
In an article in LCO News which appeared a few weeks ago, Woodstone project managers and LCO Health Center administration officials met with the TGB to discuss the entire project plans and possible funding sources. To read previous article, click here