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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center unveiled the completion of the first phase in its campus expansion project at a special open house ceremony on April 14. The ceremony celebrated the inclusion of Northside-based, minority-owned small-business contractors in the $90 million project, which was made possible by special procurement agreements through Hennepin County.
KMS Construction led the first phase of construction, which included a remodel of NorthPoint’s lower-level finance department and staff respite area.
“We know that there’s not many minority companies that have an opportunity to work in this type of space, especially healthcare,” KMS Construction Owner Ken McCraley said. “Not only did my company have an opportunity, but other small minority companies have opportunities that would never have been able to work on a project like this.”
KMS Construction is one of several local small businesses NorthPoint and Hennepin County were able to include in the campus expansion project using smaller, specialized contracts. KMS worked in partnership with JE Dunn Construction, the project’s main contractor and an industry leader in healthcare construction.
“This project is really an example of equity in all facets of the county’s work,” Hennepin County Board Chair Marion Greene said at the event. “We’re incredibly excited to have partnered with Northside, local, minority-owned contractors to execute on this project.”
NorthPoint is committed to ensuring that this partnership with community remains standard practice in Hennepin County contracting. “Our mission is around partnering,” said NorthPoint COO Kimberly Spates. “We see that a lot of minority organizations to not have an opportunity or a pathway into large projects. This is just a testament of what can happen when we all come together and partner. We bring our best selves.”
The restructured and remodeled lower level triples the size of NorthPoint’s previous staff break area and provides a fully remodeled finance and billing area where patients can go to pay their bills and apply for financial aid. This marks only the first phase of expansion for NorthPoint, which continues to serve 36,000 residents annually throughout the height of a global pandemic.
“It’s taken 20 years,” Hennepin County Administrator David Hough said at the event. “As Stella [Whitney-West, NorthPoint CEO] said, we had a conversation, and our commitment to each other was that we would see this through on our watch.”
With the cooperation of contractors, stakeholders, staff, patients and participants, NorthPoint is partnering to create a healthier community by staying open for the entire duration of construction, which will be fully complete in late 2023.
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NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center campus expansion project
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Established in 1968, NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center (formerly Pilot City) is a multi-specialty medical, dental and behavioral health center and human service agency located in North Minneapolis. Now serving over 36,000 residents annually, NorthPoint is administered through a partnership between Hennepin County and a Community Board of Directors comprised of NorthPoint’s patients and people who live and/or work in the community. NorthPoint strives to improve the physical and socio-economic health of the North Minneapolis community through an integrated model of health and human services.
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