LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville leaders cut the ribbon on The Summit Wellness Center in a grand opening ceremony Tuesday morning.
The multi-story building at 601 Presidents Blvd. near Eastern Parkway was built specifically for the city's first responders. It includes a gym, mental health services and other resources so first responders in the city can reach the summit of health.
Metro employees and members of the community got a first look during an open house Tuesday morning.
As the speakers explained, The Summit Wellness Center came about thanks to a private-public partnership. The Louisville Metro Police Foundation, with support from the leadership group, Impetus for a Better Louisville, bought the building on Presidents Boulevard from the University of Louisville for $1.5 million.
Pictured: a meditation room at The Summit Wellness Center at 601 Presidents Blvd. near Eastern Parkway in Louisville, Ky., on Oct. 17, 2023. The multi-level center was built specifically for Louisville's first responders. (WDRB image)
LMPD will lease the building from the foundation for $419,000 a year, through 2026, for a total of approximately $1.6 million, according to previous WDRB reports. The lease payments will come from ARP funds made available by the Federal American Rescue Plan. The rate will be reduced to $1 per year after 2026, when ARP funds are depleted.
The wellness center is meant to address physical, mental and spiritual needs. It features a full-time physical therapist on staff, a full gym, an event and multi purpose space, as well as classroom space for continuing education and financial literacy courses. There's also a meditation space with a chaplain.
LMPD leaders hope the wellness center will help with recruitment and retention as they're treating the entire health of an officer while also making for a stronger and safer city.
"To have a city that's successful, one where all its citizens have an opportunity to thrive, we must have a foundation where people are safe and respected," LMPD Deputy Chief Paul Humphrey said.
Pictured: free weights and cardiovascular equipment at The Summit Wellness Center at 601 Presidents Blvd. near Eastern Parkway in Louisville, Ky., on Oct. 17, 2023. The multi-level center was built specifically for Louisville's first responders. (WDRB image)
Rebecca Grignon-Reker — who lost her husband, Officer Peter Grignon, when he was killed in the line of duty nearly 20 years ago — expressed her gratitude to first responders during Tuesday's ceremony.
"I'm so grateful to them and so grateful they continue to put on the uniform every day and walk out the door not knowing if they will be back," Grignon-Reker said.
Mayor Craig Greenberg said LMPD Chief Jacqueline Gwinn-Villaroel could not attend the ribbon cutting because she was at a national police conference.
The hope is that the wellness center will become a national model for policing agencies throughout the country.
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