It will be a one-of-a-kind facility and its cost at this point is less than budgeted.

That was part of an update United Hospital District board of directors received on the new adolescent treatment center to be built in Winnebago.

Project architect Dennis Vonasek says cost of the 17,500 square foot facility is slightly more than $4 million, below an early estimate of $4.3 million.

Over the past several months input has been gathered regarding the building’s interior and exterior designs.

Many changes have been made, but perhaps the most apparent one will be the appearance of the facility.

“We heard loud and clear we need to be more residential and less institutional. We have taken that to heart,” Vonasek says.

The architect says the center also will be “totally green.”

The building will have a geothermal heating/cooling system and environment friendly materials will be used for items such as flooring, paints, carpeting and walls.

“We did some research and this is the only adolescent treatment center in the world that will be a true green design,” says Vonasek.

UHD board members have given the go-ahead to seek construction documents and then bids.

Hospital administrator Jeff Lang says the project is right on schedule.

For more of this article, see this week’s Register.