Community groups are requesting more than $5 million from Minot's city sales tax next year and $3 million in future years to expand, improve, repair and replace facilities.
The requests outstrip the $3.7 million currently in the fund, which has been collecting a portion of a 1 percent city sales tax since October 2011. The city could divvy up all or part of that money during the current grant round.
The Minot City Council's Community Development Committee will be scheduling a meeting this month to review the requests from the Minot Park Board, Minot State University, Dakota Territory Air Museum and Minot Recreation Commission.
MSU is requesting $1 million next year to continue improvements at Herb Parker Stadium, but it also is asking for $1 million in each of the following three years to pay for $4 million in construction plans.
The money would go toward a new facility for concessions, restrooms, ticketing, media, coaches suites, meetings and merchandise sales. The university already has spent more than $3.9 million on new turf, field lighting and berm, installation of new seating for about 4,000 spectators, and demolition of old seating and the former building that MSU now looks to replace.
The stadium would make a $2.1 million economic impact on the community through college and high school sporting events and tournaments, according to the application.
The air museum seeks $500,000 to build a 150-foot by 150-foot expansion onto an exhibition building, creating a 22,500-square-foot facility for displays. The project includes a ramp and taxiway.
Total cost for the building is more than $1.35 million, but the museum has the opportunity to obtain $1.25 million from the Texas Flying Legends Museum in Houston if it can produce the matching money, according to the organization's application. The Texas museum has a collection of World War II aircraft that it has shown in part in Minot and would like to bring to display in full. Dakota Territory's existing facilities aren't large enough for the entire collection.
The expansion would be the third since the original building was constructed in 1989. Once completed in early 2013, the museum would have the ability to increase its exhibits and continue to build on attendance that already has been growing, project sponsors stated.
The city's recreation and auditorium program seeks $287,440 to replace a flood-destroyed ice skating rink at Longfellow Elementary with a new rink east of Perkett Elementary. Sponsors stated in the application that space for a rink isn't available near Longfellow because of the school's expansion. The goal is to have the new rink operational by the end of 2013.
The city has $26,910 in money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency that also could go toward the rink replacement. The city would have three rinks if the facility near Perkett is constructed. That is fewer than the five rinks that the city once had.
The park district is applying for more than $3.2 million for flood-related repairs. The amount includes $1.2 million for debris and silt removal, $501,677 for irrigation systems, $386,242 for the zoo, $292,000 for bridges, $170,000 for the maintenance shops/warehouse, $99,272 for the greenhouse complex, $89,000 for Roosevelt Park grounds and $30,195 for fitness trails.
Total cost is $4.65 million for all the projects, including the engineering and architectural fees that the district isn't seeking to recoup from the sales tax.
The park district listed borrowing and increasing property taxes as its only options if sales tax money isn't available.