Freedom Park Center

Help Us Complete Construction

with a tax-deductible donation in any amount.

Freedom Park Center is a new 17,500 square-foot regional outreach center serving western Wisconsin. Through a successful, $3 million public-private partnership, Phase One of the project – the building exterior – is now complete.

This is a major step in creating a unique regional hub that fosters community through education, recreation, health and wellness. Phase Two is now engaging the partners, finishing and equipping the interior, and preparing for full operation in Phase Three.                             

Freedom Park Center is a model of excellence for Wisconsin and the upper Midwest, demonstrating how a centralized facility can enhance the lives of citizens of all ages.

Veterans: The new Veterans Center (5,000 square feet), operated by VFW Post 10818, provides critical medical and mental-health services to the region’s 15,000 veterans. The Veterans Service Office, Westfields Hospital and area VA hospitals offer counseling, guidance for VA benefits, medical equipment for disabled veterans, financial assistance for dependents, and meeting spaces for area veterans groups. An innovative “Boots to Business” incubator, operated in a collaboration with Royal Credit Union, Associated Bank, and Northwood Technical College, gives veterans the training they need to start their own businesses.                                    

Seniors: A new space (5000 square feet) for the New Richmond Senior Center/Club55+ is revolutionizing health and wellness services to the 20,000 seniors in the region with meals and nutritional programs, medical services, educational and recreational events, and activities in the surrounding park and nature trails. A new Gerontology Care and Training Program, in collaboration with Northwood Technical College and Westfields Hospital, offers care and education for the entire 55+ population and their families.

Youth: Using the many classrooms and office spaces, area schools and youth-serving organizations provide after-school programs focused on mental health awareness and skill-building activities. The local sports organizations that play on the surrounding athletic fields have meeting spaces, offices and concessions for the families who attend local sporting events.

Environment: The extraordinary location on Hatfield Lake with nearby wetlands and trails gives area environmental organizations and nature clubs a central setting for their education and nature-based activities, improving environmental awareness for all ages.

Community: The Community Event Center, with its many classrooms and offices (6,000 square feet), is unique in the region. As an inviting and centrally located venue for both private and public events, it supports business and tourism, and provides a hub for education, creativity and innovation—from art fairs to tech expos. This major component of Freedom Park Center makes an invaluable contribution to the social, cultural and economic vitality of western Wisconsin.

Please give generously to help complete

Freedom Park Center!

Visit freedomparkcenter.org for more information.

 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Location

Freedom Park Center is located in an attractive lakefront park on Highway 64, the main artery in New Richmond, connecting Minnesota with central and northern Wisconsin. Overlooking soccer and football fields, walking trails and picnic areas, the 17,400 square-foot facility has three major sections – a Veterans Center, a Senior Center, and a Community Event Center – designed around a commercial kitchen, classrooms and offices.

The Need for Freedom Park Center

Prior to 2017, many of New Richmond’s nonprofit service organizations, including the VFW, were housed in the city’s central Community Commons building. In late 2016 the groups were notified that the building would be demolished within the year. All were forced to move to separate facilities and faced higher costs, compromising their services to populations in need.

To address this challenge, VFW Post 10818 and its partners proposed the idea of a new community center as a permanent home for the displaced organizations. The proposal gained immediate support from community leaders and other organizations. Over each step of its development, Freedom Park Center has been enthusiastically endorsed by representatives of the city of New Richmond, business leaders and area legislators.

For more information, contact: Dave Green, Development Committee Chair dg173@frontiernet.net