V3 Community Center breaks ground, wants to connect downtown, north Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS -- Hundreds gathered Friday afternoon to break ground on a new health and wellness center that has hopes of creating a gateway from downtown to the city's north side.

The V3 Community Center will take 14 months to construct, officials say, and will start with the demolition of the building at the corner of Plymouth and Lyndale North avenues.

The first phase of the project will include the construction of a 25-yard indoor pool, a hydro-therapy pool, a fitness center, multi-purpose rooms, classrooms, office space, a childcare center, and a cafe. 

V3 says it is committed to hiring diverse teams of contractors and workers from the area "to ensure the entire project is part of the fabric of the community."

Details for the second phase of the project have yet to be finalized, but V3 says it will include multi-purpose courts and a 50-meter Olympic pool.