Community access to proposed $65 million sports complex is key issue for City Council candidates – Post Bulletin

ROCHESTER — The site for Rochester’s planned regional sports and recreation complex is expected to be selected in December, but key decisions on design, construction and operations are expected to be made next year.

That means up to four new members of the Rochester City Council could be involved in the decision-making process.

With four council seats on the Nov. 5 ballot, candidates were asked about their priorities related to building the new facility with $65 million in sales tax revenue after voters approved a local tax expansion.

“I understand that the regional sports complex is a magnet for regional sports tournaments, a magnet to fill hotel spaces that are not full on weekends, but I would like to see the planning and future development of the regional sports complex really engage citizens ” We have our community in mind,” Ward 6 candidate Dan Doering said of the proposed facility with mixed-use indoor fields as well as outdoor fields designed to meet the needs of football, soccer and similar sports.

Doering, who is running against Mark Schleusner in the Ward 6 election to replace Councilwoman Molly Dennis, said he wants to make sure the operating model works to ensure affordable public access to the space when it is not being used for tournaments .

Schleusner, a former member of the Rochester School Board, said the city will need to balance community desires with financial realities as the planning process continues.

“It was an approved, taxpayer-funded project and the top priority is to stay within the financial constraints of the budget,” he said, citing similar challenges he faced during his school board term as the district built new schools.

He said public input will also be a priority as final designs and uses are considered.

“These are facilities for the people of Rochester, so the people of Rochester must always have their voices heard,” he said.

Ward 2 candidates Tripp Welch and Nick Miller also said final decisions would need to be made with input from the public.

Like Schleusner, Welch cited financial concerns about the future, adding that he doesn’t want operating the new facility to become a burden on taxpayers in the coming years.

To achieve this, the city must maintain a course that strikes a balance between revenue-generating tournaments and local use. He said he believes this is the path the city has taken and needs to maintain.

“I would like to see a good balance, and I think that’s the goal,” Welch said.

Miller said he wants to ensure the balance is accessible to residents, from providing easy ways to get there to convenient ways to use it.

“First and foremost, I want to ensure that a community asset like this sports and recreation center, funded by the city sales tax, is available and usable by the community,” he said.

In District 4, where Andy Friederichs is challenging incumbent Kelly Rae Kirkpatrick, candidates expressed different priorities as planning and design work continues.

Friederichs said he wants to ensure the facility provides easy and safe access to ensure it is used by both community members and regional tournament organizers.

He said he believes the project is on the right track.

“I don’t really have any concerns about it,” he said. “I’m happy that something like this is becoming part of our city.”

Kirkpatrick said she would like to see a more long-term view as planning for the final facility begins, citing the need to ensure renewable energy and stormwater protection are part of the effort, along with flexibility for future needs.

“Priorities for the complex should be to ensure the structure can accommodate change and adaptability to changes in use, particularly given our significant growing population which is expected to ‘bold’ over the next 10 years. Forward. Unbound.’ is coming online,” she said, referring to Mayo Clinic’s planned $5 billion expansion.

In the race for council president, Randy Schubring, who is running against Ward 5 Councilman Shaun Palmer to replace Brooke Carlson, also noted the need for flexibility in design.

Like other candidates, he said community accessibility will be a top priority, but also said the design of the sports complex must be able to adapt to possible changes in community expectations and needs.

“We all know pickleball is in vogue now,” he said, citing plans to create dedicated outdoor courts and allow indoor play on multi-purpose courts. “We don’t know if something else will replace the attraction in a decade.”

He said he would like to see a private partner help offset some costs and provide flexibility for additional future uses.

Palmer said he already expected the proposal to change when the project was considered for sales tax extension funding. He said he expects some space will be dedicated to the ball diamonds for baseball and softball needs in the community.

He said the facility would primarily respond to local needs, so the council needed to balance future costs with the community’s wishes.

“The more shared use, the higher the tax subsidy must be,” he said. “I don’t expect a lot of subsidies, but there will have to be some.”

The four council seats are on the ballot for the Nov. 5 general election.