Rochester has received a Christmas present many can enjoy.
Its benefactor says he has received many gifts from the community as well.
The Fulton County Wellness Center building and its contents have been donated by Dr. Ken Hoff to the city. Fulton County Council on Aging is the center’s new operator.
“I have enough money,” Hoff said Thursday. “My goal is for this to continue to be here for the community.”
Rochester mayor Trent Odell says he sees the move as economic development, no different than providing infrastructure like roads and street lights.
It makes good development sense to have such a facility to benefit the health and wellness of local businesses’ employees.
Hoff sees his donation as giving back to the community that provided him so much over the years.
He returned to Fulton County after medical school “nothing more than a poor farm boy from Grass Creek with nothing but debt, ” he said Thursday.
Giving back to those who have supported him is fitting.
“Rochester has done a lot for me,” Hoff said. “I owe a debt to this community.”
Hoff financed and built Waterhaven, Rochester’s first subsidized senior housing.
He opened his Fulton County Medical Clinic to offer a full range of services in a central area of town where patients could walk if needed.
He bought and operated the Times Theater to keep a healthy activity available to youth, then later donated it.
He had a hand in renovating Corner Market Mall.
He built the wellness center 25 years ago because he wanted a place that would meet his patients’ needs for improving their health and wellness.
He’s in the process of renovating 728 and 730 Main Street, a prominent downtown building that had been empty and unoccupied for close to a decade.
“I want everything on Main Street to be as good as it can be,” Hoff said.
He renovated an apartment building at 1109 E. Ninth St. when the need for more modern housing for visiting doctors and business people was brought forth.
“Ken has done so much for Rochester and so many people don’t realize it, said Mart Smith, a city councilman and longtime Rochester businessman.
They were gathered in the wellness center for a Fulton County Chamber of Commerce-facilitated ribbon cutting to commentate the facility’s change of ownership.
Hoff said he no longer wants to be managing a business, aside from his farming operations and real estate.
The city and county each provided Hoff a $50,000 payment from County Economic Development Income Tax revenues to keep the doors open after the closing was announced three months ago. He donated $50,000 of that to the Fulton County Council on Aging to help the agency get up and running with the facility.
Since then the city has taken ownership of the building. The Council on Aging will be general overseer of the facility and it will be managed by Susan Pyeatt, the current manager.
“We’ve got a real strong platform to build upon,” Odell said. “Our big concern was keeping it up and running during the process.”
Council on Aging Director Doug Beller said he’s not exactly sure how things will work yet at the center, but several of the senior citizens who visit the Community Resource Center have expressed interest in joining the wellness center.
“We’ve kicked around a lot of things,” he said. “But don’t have a full plan yet. Right now, we’re just learning.”
A pickle ball court is considered. Hoff donated the golf simulator and it will stay at the facility.
Pyeatt said current class offerings will continue, as will the wellness programs for city and county employees.
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