The Ottertail Community Project announced this week that it has purchased the former Otter Fitness Garage on Main Street and started rebranding the site as the Ottertail Community and Wellness Center. The nonprofit plans to operate a full-size gym with three pickleball courts and basketball access, an indoor walking track, a kids’ play area, a senior center and multipurpose rooms for classes and events, creating a consolidated space for exercise, socializing and programming in the heart of town.

Executive Director Alex Rupe described the center as one element of a broader initiative that also includes the Ottertail Family Center. That complementary effort will support four licensed in‑home childcare providers housed in nearby townhomes and create a new resource space for families. Together, the Community & Wellness Center and Family Center represent a roughly $5.8 million investment, raised largely through private donations, with about $400,000 still to fund.

For Otter Tail County residents, the project addresses several practical needs. The facility adds year‑round indoor recreation options—three pickleball courts and a walking track increase capacity for activities that previously competed for limited space—and creates a senior center and multipurpose classrooms that local organizations can use for health programming, educational classes and community events. The family center component aims to expand licensed childcare supply, a persistent bottleneck for working parents and local employers seeking to attract and retain workers.

Financially, the $5.8 million total is a substantial private investment in a small-town Main Street. Raising most of the funds through donations demonstrates strong local philanthropic support but leaves leaders with a $400,000 shortfall to close. The nonprofit plans to broaden class offerings and programming this winter while continuing fundraising for the remaining balance, and officials expect to complete the separate family center facility by fall 2026.

The project illustrates a broader trend of community-led investments in social infrastructure—where local nonprofits, private donors and small towns collaborate to provide services that previously relied on public funding or were absent altogether. For Main Street businesses, the center could mean steadier foot traffic and more local spending, while for residents it promises more accessible wellness and childcare options without long commutes.

As the center moves from renovation into operation, key questions will center on sustaining programming, covering operating costs, and closing the remaining funding gap. If successful, the Ottertail Community and Wellness Center could serve as a model for neighboring communities seeking to bolster quality of life and economic resilience through targeted, locally driven investments.