Mower County officials must move quickly or risk losing state funds for the proposed new multipurpose building at the fairgrounds in Austin.

Thursday, September 09, 1999

Mower County officials must move quickly or risk losing state funds for the proposed new multipurpose building at the fairgrounds in Austin.

That means, the county board of commissioners must decide where to locate the new building by early October.

The county has until the end of the year to show the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission a "good faith effort" at spending a minimum of $500,000 worth of work on the building. The money, in the form of designated and applied-for Mighty Ducks grants, is part of the $4.5 million spending proposal for the new building.

That’s the deadline imposed by Craig Oscarson, county coordinator, at today’s meeting of the infrastructure sub-committee of the long-range planing committee established by the county board.

The long-range planning committee was formed, in part, to recommend to the county board how to spend $31.7 million in reserves accumulated by Mower County.

The county board has committed $1.8 million of its reserves to the multipurpose building project, which has the endorsement of the county board’s building committee.

The county board, in turn, is waiting for a recommendation for the location of the building before proceeding.

At today’s meeting building site options were discussed.

John Steele, a rural Sargeant farmer, has one that is unlikely to receive serious consideration, but nevertheless touches upon feelings in the out-county area.

"We’ll give them $101,000 to build it in Sargeant," Steele said after today’s meeting. "If the city of Austin is only giving the county $100,000 to build them an ice rink, we’ll give them $101,000 for the $4 million building and they can build it at Sargeant."

Steele, a member of the infrastructure sub committee, admits he’s against the project. He and others from the Sargeant area have lobbied the county board to reconsider their actions, saying the county has other more pressing needs. In Steele’s case, he has frequently mentioned having the "most heavily traveled road in Mower County" in front of his farm served by a one-lane bridge.

The county commissioners, meanwhile, are moving forward with the project despite the continued opposition. LHB Engineers and Architects, Minneapolis, has been retained to assist the county in developing the project. Doug Friend and Jerry A. Putnam of LHB were at today’s meeting to listen to the input from a wide range of organizations and individuals.

For the first time publicly, the Mower County Fair Board went on the record favoring locating the new building east of the current lineup of 4-H, horticulture, Herb and Murl’s and St. Olaf Lutheran Church diners and fairgrounds administration buildings.

However, there was also opinion expressed to locate the building near the existing Crane Building or between the existing grandstands and Plager building.

One by one, National Barrow Show, Mower County Historical Society and Mower County 4-H representatives spoke of their preferences both for the building’s location and how it would be used.

Dan Vermilyea, an Extension Service Committee member, said, "We shouldn’t forget who are the biggest users of the fairgrounds currently and that’s the hundreds of 4-H kids and their families."

Kyle Klaehn, a Fair Board member, also reminded all, 4-H is growing and one area is horse projects, which are now limited to strictly the outdoor arena.

But, George Brophy, a member of the MCHS board, said the county board must look at the entire fairgrounds and how it should be configured to serve future anticipated needs.

The building is intended to include two sheets of ice and that fact, as well as the apparent commitment to the Fair Board, Extension Service, Barrow Show and Historical Society would limit the possibilities for marketing the building for wider use.

That’s what concerns Jeanne Sheehan, executive director of the Austin Convention/Visitors Bureau. But, Sheehan said the Convention/Visitors Bureau will work with the county to market the new facility just as it presently markets the existing facilities on the fairgrounds with others in the community.

According to Oscarson, while the city of Austin has pledged a minimum of $100,000 to the project, it has also offered an additional $250,000 if the building’s costs exceed a certain amount and if the building is constructed to be aesthetically appealing to the southwest Austin neighborhood.

Also, Oscarson said the county is not going to build a building and subsidize it for others. "We’re not going to subside those winter sports. They’re going to pay their fair share. The county board has made that clear," he said.