The Cook County Community Center provides services that bridge both local resident and visitor needs year-round. To better serve these audiences, there are a number of building projects scheduled to upgrade facilities at the Community Center this summer.
Funding for these projects comes from various sources including Cook County bonds and 1 percent sales tax funds set aside for Community Center projects, the Cook County Amateur Hockey Association, the Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation, the State Health Improvement Project and the Cook County Business & Civic Partnership.
Additional grant funds to further support these projects are being sought by Cook County Kids Plus with a pending Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation Board grant.
Plans to upgrade the old ice skating warming house brought up on skids from the Grand Marais Recreation Park have been in discussion for over 20 years.
The Cook County Community Center Board of Trustees, the advisory board to the county commissioners regarding Community Center projects and activities, has advocated and devised numerous plans for an upgraded warming house over this time period. The Cook County Amateur Hockey Association has also provided input during this process. We are pleased that finally this summer a new warming house / Zamboni garage building will be built to better accommodate skaters.
Last year 11 community gardens were built between the Little League field and the Community Center and because of their popularity, this year 10 more raised garden beds will be added. Photo courtesy of Diane Booth
The new facility will be basic but includes: . A small concessions area. . Indoor seating for skaters and spectators. . Skate rental and skate sharpening space, and . Storage for hockey/broomball equipment.
During the skating off-season, the warming house concessions area will be available to Little League ball field users. Additionally, the entire warming house facility space will be made available to youth and community activities when not being used by skaters.
An outdoor vault toilet facility is being planned near the warming house since bringing water and sewer to the new warming house was cost prohibitive. This vault toilet facility will be available year-round and include benches, hooks and electric heaters.
A new gravel parking lot will create safer access to the Little League field, warming house and Cook County Community Gardens while serving as an overflow parking space during large events at the Community Center.
Equipment for a planned 6-month to 5-year-old playground space was purchased last year with a grant from Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation and will be installed this summer. The new play space will be fenced and adjacent to the newly built hockey arena and 5- to 12-year-old playground that was erected last year.
Parents or childcare providers will be able to view children of all ages from the pavilion picnic area, making this a safe and fun play area. New steps will be built to connect the 5-12 playground space to the tennis courts, YMCA and Cook County ISD 166 to ensure a good flow for pedestrian traffic.
Eleven community gardens were installed last year between the Little League ball field and the Community Center. This year, funding was received to enhance this space to include another 10 raised garden beds along with a repurposed garden shed and water collection system for rain barrels.
Additional grant funding is also pending for further projects. Community gardeners will have access to this space based upon a waiting list. If anyone is interested in a community garden plot, please contact the Cook County Extension office at 218-387-3015.
The Cook County Community Center, located in Grand Marais, encompasses about 19 acres and includes Cook County Community Center building w/office space for Community Center and Extension staff, curling arena, commercial kitchen, meeting room spaces, a 1939 4H Log Cabin building, Little League field, five outdoor tennis courts, 5- to 12-year-old playground, skateboard park, two outdoor ice rinks, and a horse/ dog park that serves as an animal evacuation facility.
The facility upgrades planned for the warming house, playground space, community gardens, and grounds will continue to enhance services to the public.
Project plans and more information are available at the Cook County Community Center. Or, feel free to contact the Cook County Community Center at 218-387-3015.
County Connections is a column on timely topics and service information from your Cook County government. Cook County—Supporting Community Through Quality Public Service.
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