File Photo People gather during the demonstration project, 1.Oh!, at the site of a proposed downtown gathering space in September 2018. The city currently is looking at a different downtown space for gathering.

The uncertainty surrounding Minot’s proposed downtown gathering space prompted the Minot Park Board Tuesday to vote to pull out of an agreement with the city to help develop the park.

“I would recommend at this point that we pull out of the subrecipient category of the agreement and let the process move on. If something happens in the future that allows us the opportunity to come back in again, maybe we can consider it,” Parks Director Ron Merritt told the board.

Board members were in unanimous agreement that the board should put its time and resources elsewhere for now.

Board member Perry Olson said public support for a downtown site along First Street and First Avenue Southeast, near the Parker Center, was overwhelming. Because of difficulty acquiring property, the city has turned its sights to a different property next to Broadway.

“I don’t want to be a part of it – not doing what the public wants,” Olson said.

Board President Chuck Emery said the design of the Broadway location is his concern.

“If that safety issue isn’t taken care of, I wouldn’t want us to be involved,” he said.

Under the subrecipient agreement, the park district was to hire a firm to construct the gathering place and potentially operate it.

The board also reviewed possible capital projects for 2020, including a new Roosevelt Park Pool water slide and improvements to Jefferson Park, Polaris Park, Overlook Park, Superfund Site near Maysa Arena, South Hill Complex and the Woodland Trail. There’s also paving improvements needed within the district and the possibility of fundraising for a new Maysa Arena scoreboard.

The board set a special meeting for Nov. 6 at 4 p.m. to discuss which projects should be included in the 2020 work plan.