Lake Region Healthcare approves $27 Million infrastructure project

Rendering of Lake Region Healthcare’s planned Central Utility Plant. (LRHC)

The Details

FERGUS FALLS, Minn. (KFGO-KBRF) – Lake Region Healthcare is moving forward with a major infrastructure project at its Fergus Falls campus.

The organization’s Board of Trustees has approved a project budget of up to $27 million for construction of a new Central Utility Plant. The project will replace aging heating, cooling, and emergency power systems that serve the Fergus Falls healthcare campus.

According to Lake Region Healthcare, many of the existing systems have been maintained for decades, but replacement parts are becoming harder to find and concerns about reliability are increasing.

CEO Kent Mattson says the investment is essential to maintaining reliable healthcare services for the region. He says the utility systems may not be visible to patients, but they’re critical to every procedure and every day of patient care.

The new facility will be built on the rear portion of the Fergus Falls campus, near the corner of Mill Street and Alcott Avenue.

Planned placement of the Central Utility Plant. (LRHC)

Lake Region Healthcare says the centralized plant will not only support current operations, but also provide flexibility for future campus improvements and expansion. The project is part of the organization’s New Waters Strategic Plan, which focuses on strengthening healthcare services through investments in facilities, technology, staff and services.

Construction is expected to begin in 2027, with completion anticipated in the fall of 2028.