The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe has received a $12.7 million loan from the federal government to build a new administrative center.

Wampanoag chairman Cedric Cromwell said the 40,000-square-foot building will house the tribe’s administrative offices, health clinic and the tribal court. It will also feature a gymnasium, a library, a function hall and a lounge for tribal elders.

Cromwell told the Cape Cod Times the new center, which will have curved rooflines to resemble a turtle, will enable the federally recognized tribe to "unify our services."

Financing for the project is being funded through a 30-year loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s rural development office.

The goal is to start construction by spring at the latest. (AP)