Healthcare district, Oakland form $1 million partnership

The town of Oakland is adding another component to the Arts & Heritage Center at Oakland, now under construction near Town Hall: health and wellness.

A $1 million partnership between the town and the West Orange Healthcare District was approved Tuesday, Aug. 13, at the Oakland Town Commission meeting. This partnership gives the healthcare district naming rights to the facility — the West Orange Healthcare District Arts & Heritage Center at Oakland — and provides the town with grant funding to turn the center into a meeting place for improving community health and wellness through health, arts and heritage programs and activities.

The funds will allow for nutrition and fitness programs coordinated with the district’s Healthy West Orange team, health screenings and back-to-school physicals through partners such as Shepherd’s Hope, gardens with educational signage on the benefits of eating well, and bike racks to encourage residents to utilize the West Orange Trail and pedal to the center.

“The partnership with the West Orange Healthcare District is a natural fit for the town of Oakland with our focus on a healthy lifestyle and a dedication to our heritage and the arts,” Mayor Kathy Stark said in a release issued by the district. “We are very grateful for the support and trust of the district and look forward to the opening of the center this winter.”

Construction of the community center started in February; it is located west of Oakland Town Hall at North Tubb Street and the West Orange Trail.