Laserfiche WebLink
City Council Meeting Minutes <br />October 17, 1996 <br /> <br />Page 2 <br /> <br />Mr. Perry Coonce provided information on the background and history of the <br />Minnesota Sports Federation. The MSF home office currently operates on Dodge <br />Avenue with a full-time staff of eight people. MSF is the largest amateur sports <br />organization in Minnesota (200,000 members) and currently administer youth <br />and adult basketball, broom ball, volleyball, softball, touch football and <br />baseball programs. Mr. Coonce explained the Minnesota Sports Federation's <br />mission is to serve Minnesota through sports, with a main emphasis on <br />sportsmanship. Mr. Coonce noted MSF's involvement in the following: <br /> <br />- Softball Night at the Dome (benefit for Minnesota Special Olympics and <br /> Minnesota Softball Hall of Fame) <br />- Minnesota High School Girls Ali-Star Series <br />- National tournaments such as the Major in Minnesota Women's "A" Slow Pitch <br /> National in Bloomington, and Girls' "A Team" Fast Pitch National in Eden Prairie <br />- National Youth Basketball Association <br />- Junior Olympic Softball Festival <br />- National Youth Volleyball Association <br />- USA Softball (national governing body for softball - administer statewide) <br />- Youth Basketball of America <br />- Basketball Congress International <br /> <br />Mr. Coonce explained the reason the sports facility is being proposed in the lack <br />of available facilities and a growing demand for programs. <br /> <br />Mr. Al Mundt reviewed sketches of the proposed facility which would house 8 <br />indoor vollellyball courts that could be converted to 4 basketball courts. Mr. <br />Mundt indicated the facility would be mainly used for tournaments, and felt the <br />facility would be large enough to house a national basketball tournament. In <br />addition, the facility would be used for indoor soccer, touch football, wrestling, <br />aerobics, batting cages, sport-specific training such as basketball or junior <br />olympic softball, offices for the MSF, pro-shop, locker rooms with showers for both <br />men and women, food service in both the youth and adult lounges with a <br />viewing area, meeting rooms and the Minnesota Amateur Sports Hall of Fame & <br />Minnesota Softball Hall of Fame. The upper level mezzanine will include an <br />indoor walking/running track. Cost of the proposed facility is between $2.1 <br />million and $2.3 million, depending on whether they built an engineered metal <br />building with concrete block or a tilt-up panel (estimates from Tri-Con out of <br />Rogers, and Am-Con of Burnsville). MSF will finance $300,000 for fixtures and <br />equipment for basketball backboards, volleyball standards and netting, batting <br />cages, kitchen facilities, Hall of Fame displays, pro-shop and entry area. Mr. <br />Mundt explained once the Letter of Intent is approved by the City, the MSF <br />would proceed with the capital campaign through Fundraising Management <br />Council, and would do nothing until the necessary funds were raised to execute <br />the Letter of Intent. He estimated it would take approximately 6 - 9 months to <br />complete the capital campaign. At that point, the City of Elk River would <br />finance the facility through Certificates of Participation and lease the facility to <br />MSF with the understanding the City would sell the facility to MSF for one dollar, <br />after MSF retires the debt. <br /> <br /> <br />