Two years after failed arena vote, planning continues on new proposal

The second anniversary of Mitchell’s failed arena election passed quietly last week as behind-the-scenes work continued on a new proposal.

“We’re tweaking plans and still trying to come up with a solution,” City Council President Jeff Smith said this week.

It was Sept. 18, 2007, when city voters rejected a property-tax increase that was proposed to help fund construction of a $25 million, 7,000-seat arena along the state Highway 37 bypass in northern Mitchell.

To that point, the drive for more arena space had dominated conversations and headlines in Mitchell since March 2005. That was when the South Dakota High School Activities Association deemed the 3,200-seat Corn Palace too small to host future state tournaments.

The arena issue continued to be a hot topic earlier this year when talk turned to a potential partnership involving the city, Avera Queen of Peace Health Services and Dakota Wesleyan University on a combined arena with seating for approximately 5,000, wellness center and indoor pool on the DWU campus.

A committee consisting of two people from each of the three entities announced in June that work had begun on the new proposal. The committee said the project would be called a “community center” as opposed to an “events center,” which had been the popular name for the failed 2007 project.

In the three months since the committee’s announcement, there’s been little to no public discussion of the issue. Smith said this week that the committee is working with Puetz Corporation — so far at no cost to taxpayers — on conceptual drawings.

“Everyone is conceding a little bit on some of the square footage,” Smith said. “We’re adding and subtracting and trying to come up with a design that will fit the majority of all three of our needs.”

Avera and DWU had already been collaborating on plans for a wellness center before including city officials and their desire for a new arena.

An indoor pool was added to the mix recently after the Mitchell School District began converting the indoor pool at the middle school to a gymnasium.

Smith said Avera and DWU predict, based on a prior feasibility study, that they’ll be able to raise a combined $8 million to $10 million for the project. Smith said the city could contribute between $10 million and $15 million.

Methods of funding the project are being considered, but the design of the building is the committee’s first priority.

“At this point, we’re trying to come up with a building that stays within our budget,” Smith said. “Then from there we’ll be working on putting the financial end together.”

Smith said the committee includes Avera Queen of Peace President and CEO Tom Rasmusson, Avera Queen of Peace Foundation Director and City Councilwoman Geri Beck, Mayor Lou Sebert, City Council President Jeff Smith, DWU President Bob Duffett and DWU Vice President for Business and Finance Theresa Kriese.

Tags: event center, community center, news, local, arena