To help Madison residents with special health needs and disabilities, the federal government granted the city's Triangle Health and Wellness Center nearly $200,000 Monday to help improve its facilities.

As a collaboration of public, private and nonprofit groups, the Triangle Health and Wellness Center provides health services to the residents of the Triangle Project — a housing development run by the city that serves people with disabilities and other special needs.

The federal grant to fund the redevelopment was secured by Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis.

"The idea is to create a single point of contact for the residents," said George Twigg, communications director for Mayor Dave Cieslewicz. "Thanks to this grant we got through Sen. Kohl's office, we were able to remodel this space and make it easier to provide the services that these residents need."

According to Twigg, the space is now designed to function as a clinic, with new amenities such as adjoining rooms and a check-in area, which will help make the center more functional.

The grant was awarded as part of the 2005 fiscal year appropriations bill from the Department of Health and Human Services, according to Joe Bonfiglio, Kohl's press secretary.

"A focus of the senator is to invest in health-care projects that bring much-needed new technologies and treatments to communities," Bonfiglio said. "What the city had to do was prove how they were going to use the money, then the Senate and House both agreed, and the money was allocated for the wellness center."

Although the grant was awarded in 2005, the official grand opening of the newly renovated Triangle Health and Wellness Center took place Monday, with Cieslewicz leading the event.

Cieslewicz is seeking a second term as mayor in the election this April.