We are part of The Trust Project.
GRAND FORKS — Altru Health will gift land located across from Choice Health and Fitness on South 11th Street to the Grand Forks Center for Exploration .
Sally Miskavige, vice president of the Operation Exploration Campaign said the gift of land from Altru is being considered a challenge gift, so if the funds are raised for the children's museum Altru will dedicate the land for it.
Overall, the gift has generated excitement from the members of the Operation Exploration committee.
"We're just super excited," Miskavige said.
Meghan Compton, Altru's chief clinic operation officer, said she is also excited about the gift of land to the Center for Exploration, as it aligns with Altru's mission of improving health and enriching lives in the community.
ADVERTISEMENT
"As a nonprofit in the community, it's important that we continue to support the projects that help make our community vibrant, create a healthy place to live, work and play," Compton said. "From our perspective this aligns very well to our mission and we're really excited to support it."
The location of the land is in an ideal place for the Center of Exploration, according to Miskavige, as it is located right off of South Washington Street and is accessible by bike paths and bus.
"When we found out that location we just thought it's perfect for the project," Miskavige said.
Being down the street from the ICON Sports Center where youth hockey tournaments are held also means more people who travel to Grand Forks for sports tournaments will be passing by as well.
The destination playground is planned to go north of Choice Health and Fitness where the Parks Department owns land .
Miskavige said the vision is to have the Center for Exploration be another "world-class facility in the Grand Forks area."
Miskavige. along with Dean Opp, another committee member and a retired director of the Grand Forks school system’s Summer Performing Arts program, hope to draw people in from across the state and even from Minnesota to the center.
