by Anna Erickson,
Staff Writer
Wadena City Council and Wadena-Deer Creek school board have pledged support for a proposed Community Center expansion and will form a joint powers committee to discuss how to move forward with the project.
The groups hope other community entities will join them to figure out how to move forward with the project.
Proposed Community Center expansion is estimated to cost between $9 million and $12 million.
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A Wadena Community Center Facility Feasibility Committee presented a feasibility study to the City Council and WDC school board at monthly meetings.
WDC school board passed a motion on Monday pledging support for the center and joining a joint powers committee with the city of Wadena.
The City Council passed a motion at its March 14 meeting to create a joint powers committee and invites other entities in the community to join, such as Tri-County Hospital, Minnesota State Community and Technical College Wadena Campus and the Wadena County Board.
Im in favor of doing whatever it takes to make this happen, said Councilman Pete Phillips.
People representing the community center committee told the Wadena City Council about the completion of a feasibility study and the need to move forward by hiring someone full time to organize and plan for the center.
Detroit Lakes constructed a community center in 1999 and budgeted $100,000 to hire a full-time coordinator for the project, said Stu Omberg, a consultant with the Detroit Lakes Community Center.
The feasibility study is the result of ideas gathered at a public meeting in Wadena in September and meetings with the Community Center committee. Duane Kell of Ankeny Kell Architects in St. Paul, who worked with the committee to develop the feasibility study, also attended the citys March 14 meeting.
While the price is estimated between $9 million and $12 million, Kell said the proposed building is very economical.
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Its a family-oriented facility, Kell said. Its for families to get together and recreate.
If the facility needed to be scaled back, an option with a smaller pool and other cuts has been designed.
The pool will be the biggest draw but also will cost the most money to run, Kell said.
Other parts of the expansion include:
" An additional entrance to the west of the existing hockey arena
" An additional outdoor hockey arena
" A catering kitchen
" A gymnasium and all purpose room
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" A childrens gym for ages 5 through 12
" A child care area where people could leave their kids while using the facility
" A party room/viewing room for the pool
" Locker rooms for men, women and families
" An aquatic center that includes a body slide, tube slide, lazy river, zero-depth entrance to a pool, diving area and an indoor/outdoor spa
" A fitness/free weight area on the second floor that overlooks the gymnasium
" An aerobics area on the second floor
" A walking ring on the second floor
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Phillips would like to see an additional sheet of ice just for recreational skating. Kell said that would be a viable option.
The committee wants to have support from the city of Wadena, WDC schools and other entities in the community so the project can move forward.
Kathy Yelle, school board member, asked the community center committee who would own the facility.
John Paulson, co-chair of the community center committee said the Detroit Lakes facility is owned by the city, but the joint powers committee could determine which entity would be best. Some entities might want to rent parts of the facility, he said.
Joel Beiswenger, Tri-County Hospital financial services director, said at the Wadena City Council meeting that the Community Center expansion is consistent with the hospitals mission. He said the hospital supports the project. The hospital would probably lease space at the Community Center for a therapy pool, he said.
The next step is to figure out how to finance the project.
Were going to need to come up with long-term financing, said Mike Craig, a member of the Community Center committee.
Committee members mentioned possibilities such as donations, grants, loans or even a 1/2-percent sales tax increase.
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