FAIRMONT — Mayo Clinic Health System-Fairmont has granted $25,000 to Lakeview Methodist Health Care Center in Fairmont to support its capital campaign.

“This was collaborative and agreed upon by several Mayo leaders, including our regional leadership team out of southwest Minnesota,” said Mayo-Fairmont administrator Amy Long.

Lakeview administrator Deb Barnes shared more about the big project at Lakeview.

“We are in the middle of a capital campaign to build a new skilled care center and this $25,000 will go a long way to help us achieve that goal,” she said. “We are going throughout the community asking for donations and support.”

About two years ago, the board was actually looking at remodeling the present building, which is 63 years old.

“Last year, several things happened in the community that changed their mind,” Barnes noted.

Those changes included Lutz Wing closing, meaning more people came to Lakeview for care, and Building Blocks Learning Center moved into Lakeview, bringing in more than 80 children.

“With those two big changes, we thought maybe remodeling wouldn’t be the best way to go,” Barnes said.

The new building, which will be constructed in the back parking lot of the campus, will boast many additions and improvements.

“The (current) building was built with the amenities that were expected at that time, but people’s expectations have grown greatly, so this new building will have 66 private rooms and only eight double,” Barnes said. “It will have a beautiful therapy room; the child day care center will also have a new space in the building.”

She said there will be a cafe so residents can entertain family members, and there will be a shopping area and a library because the goal is to be a long-term care community.

Barnes said Lakeview hopes to reach the end of the capital campaign and recognize other funding sources so construction can begin in the spring or summer. The work is expected to be completed about 18 to 20 months after it starts.

Barnes said that the cost of the project is a little over $20 million.

“We need a lot of capital and we are asking a lot of people, but this community opened it heart 60 years ago to build our present site,” Barnes said. “Many people have already pledged their support to us. I believe Fairmont will step up to the plate and make sure that there are places for seniors.”

Barnes shared that 38 percent of Martin County will soon be older than 65.

“Those people will possibly need some type of healthcare, either long-term or short-term care,” she said.

Lakeview and Mayo have worked collaboratively on a few things, including reducing readmissions to the hospital. They also worked closely when Lutz Wing, at the Mayo campus, was in the closing process.

“Lakeview has been a fantastic partner to us and we’re hoping this encourages others to consider giving to their capital campaign project,” Long said.