Rochester City Council Votes to Pause Development of Indoor Facility at Sports Complex

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- The Rochester City Council has called a timeout on development of an indoor facility at the site of the sports complex in southeast Rochester. 

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Construction of the outdoor amenities at the complex is underway. The city council is planning to discuss how to fund the indoor portion of the complex later this year. 

City staff asked Councilmembers on Monday night to authorize a request to move design work and community engagement for building an indoor facility at the sports complex. 

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Staff also sought approval of a contract for initial design work at a cost of nearly $950,000. The price tag for the final design of the facility is estimated at an additional $1.2 million. 

The elected leaders were also asked to authorize more than $1.13 million from the city's Holistic Budget Stability Fund to provide interim financing for the project.

Rochester City Council Votes to Pause Development of Indoor Facility at Sports Complex

The council instead voted unanimously to delay developing the indoor facility by approving an amendment introduced by Councilmember Nick Miller. 

Miller’s amendment calls for pursuing interim options for use of the dome at the Rochester Community and Technical College campus this year, adjusting the sports complex site to accommodate the footprint for a future indoor space and to discuss funding models for an indoor facility. 

The proposed year-round dome had an estimated price tag of around $55 million when it was first discussed by the city council in late April. 

There had been discussion about locating the facility on the RCTC campus, but officials with the college informed the city last week that they are not interested in having it built there. 

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The proposal for the indoor facility involves a 200,000- to 250,000-square-foot dome.

The plan envisions an indoor artificial turf field for soccer, lacrosse, and other similar activities, along with indoor play space and multipurpose basketball and pickleball courts.