This lot on the south side of the new Gunflint Trail, on the corner of Fourth Avenue West and the Gunflint, has been selected as the site of a new community center.
Representatives of ORB Management, The Meyer Group and JLG Architects attended the county board meeting on October 18, 2011, recommending that the county board build a new community center on the corner of Fourth Avenue West and the New Gunflint Trail in Grand Marais – known as “the northwest corner.”
Since the board is moving toward building a new hockey rink outside the current Community Center, the consultants and architects think the time has come for the board to make a decision on where to put a new community center.
“Political issues” was one reason the professional group recommended this location. Community members have had strong opinions on whether or not to replace existing amenities such as fairly new tennis courts and the west end of the Cook County Schools complex with a new community center. Another reason is that siting the new facility in the northwest corner of the county’s property would allow for plenty of parking that wouldn’t interfere with events at the school or the Arrowhead Center for the Arts.
Fritz Sobanja made a motion, seconded by Sue Hakes, to go with the northwest corner site. It passed unanimously with Commissioner Jim Johnson absent.
Architect Tim Meyer said wetland mitigation that needs to be addressed should take about three to six months. Some of the planned improvements, including a new ball field, are on school grounds, but the school will benefit from the added amenities. The community center project is on hold until the county knows whether the City of Grand Marais will help pay for operation and maintenance costs.
The community center project, on which the county board decided to spend no more than $10 million, not including furniture and equipment, is still not supported by some community members at the size and cost that has been proposed by the Community Center Steering Committee appointed by the county board.
Community member and former county commissioner Gene Erickson suggested that the county board consider asking the voters to decide the future of the proposed project via a referendum.
The board passed another motion authorizing ORB, The Meyer Group, and JLG to start working on designing the new hockey rink and warming shack, which some would like to call a field house. Perhaps the next hot topic in town will be what the difference might be between a warming shack and a field house.
Leave a Reply