Posted: 6/4/03

Development agreement next for ice sheet plan

Jessica Foster
Staff Writer

The double sheet Forest Lake Activities Center came one more step to fruition Monday night.

The Forest Lake City Council, after listening to a presentation on the activity center, agreed to proceed in creating a development agreement.

The development agreement, between the city of Forest Lake and FLAAC, is the next step in the process making the activities center a reality.

The agreement is expected to be completed in two weeks and likely will be an agenda item at the June 23 city council meeting.

After the development agreement is complete, the city then would move ahead with infastructure needs such as water and sewer to serve the site.

While planners and members of the Forest Lake Activities Center Task Force insist there is need for the arena and ice time will be booked, city planners were hesitant with tight numbers.

They wondered who, in the event of a financial failure, would the banks come to if the FLAAC could not pay its bills.

City Attorney Dave Hebert said that liability would go to the city. He wondered if there was solid evidence the money was coming from the banks and private donorsóor if it was just conversation.

ìI donít know that youíve shown us that you are going to get the money,î Hebert said. ìWhere does it start?î

Bill Whitrock of project designer RSP Architects and a planner, stressed the group needed city support in order to obtain financial backing.

ìWe need the support right now to continue with the fundraising,î Whitrock said.

Jim Meyer who heads the FLAAC group, agreed.

ìWe need the support and weíre willing to do anything to get that,î he said.

While a longtime vocal advocate of such a facility, Councilman Rick Ashbach wanted to make sure the city would not be on the hook financially.

ìI just donít want to see a building being built and not occupied,î said Councilman Rick Ashbach.

Councilwoman Susan Young wondered if the numbers would be a reality or something that looked good on paper. She questioned the costs for labor and wondered if a $6.5 million structure would require a larger, better paid staff.

Basics

The center, to be built on city land near the proposed community center, has a price sticker of $6.5 million. Of that, $3 million would be debt service funds and $3.5 million would be raised from private sources, corporate sponsorships, advertising and in-kind gifts.

ìOne of the things I find remarkable about this community is the amount of people who have come forward and said they would be willing to give in-kind gifts,î Meyer said.

The activities center would include two NHL sized rinks (85íx200í). One rink, with a concrete floor, would seat 1200. The other, with a sand floor, would seat 600. Also included would be locker rooms, offices, storage and public access TV.

The sheets would be laid 12 feet below ground surface. When visitors enter, they will look down on the ice.

While two sheets are planned, there is room for additional ice in the winter. The pit room, which stores the Zamboni, will be located to the rear of the building and could drive outside to additional sheets.

ìThe ground is dead flat so it just makes it easy to assume sheets would work out there,î said Bill Whitrock.

Managed by the FLAAC, the center would be open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. The city of Forest Lake would take responsibility for grounds, parking, lighting, sidewalks, mowing and snow removal.

The FLAAC would be responsible for costs directly related to managing and maintaining the building.

FLAAC indicated they would like to be in the ground this fall.

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