BLAKELY -- A building that is part gym and part doctor's office is planned for Lackawanna County. It's being called a "wellness center".
Ray Angeli is one of the developers of the Wright Wellness Center planned for Lackawanna County. Angeli told Newswatch 16 that a wellness center is all things health under one roof that would require a monthly membership.
There are only about 20 in the country, Angeli said the closest is in Chicago.
"The dietitian is there, the food store where you can buy the special kinds of food that you need, aquatic pool is there, a regular pool there, there`s a jogging track inside the building. Associated with that are all the different varieties of doctor`s offices and medical services that are scattered right now," Angeli said.
The wellness center could still be far off into the future. Officials are working on getting federal funding now and then construction would take another two years.
The Wright Center and developers of the project have secured land along Business Route 6 in Blakely.
"This whole strip here, it`s nothing but a speed trap. It would be nice to see some more business up here," said Patrick Moore, who works across Business Route 6 at Planet Kia.
The car dealership is one of only a handful of businesses on that stretch of highway. The wellness center would spur the development of a large piece of untouched land.
Some people think the wellness center could be just what it needs.
"This would be a great opportunity to bring something like that to the area here that people could be offered a new way of living," added Michael Murnin of Forest City.
The Wright Wellness Center would cost about $25 million to build. No word yet on when developers plan to break ground.