Sanford Health Eyes Bemidji Rail Corridor as Location for Wellness Center

Sanford Health has set its sights on using the rail corridor south of Bemidji’s downtown as the future location for a wellness center and sports complex.

The Bemidji City Council still would have to approve their use of the land. At Monday’s council session, a representative from Greater Bemidji alongside a Sanford Health representative made a presentation on using the rail corridor as a possible future location, partially in the hopes of spurring further development.

The proposed wellness center has been in talks for the last several years.

There is not an official estimate for the price of the center yet. Sanford has offered to invest $10 million over time to the project, with the rest of the funding to be arranged through private investors. They are not planning on any funding coming from the city.

Bemidji owns the rail corridor and must approve its use for development. At Monday’s meeting, no formal action was taken. Next week, the city council will vote on the proposal. At Monday’s meeting, the council did reach a consensus to allow leaseholders on the rail corridor to renew their leases until there is a timeline and plan for development.