GRAND FORKS – City Council on Monday approved an agreement to release a traffic master plan for the new Altru indoor sports and aquatic complex, but also discussed a possible replacement location for the Grand Forks Children’s Museum project.
“I think making it too available is something we shouldn’t consider,” Kvamme said. “I know there are a lot of moving parts, but I feel like a lot of things are failing very temporarily and there have been so many paintings on the existing site. “
Models of the Altru sports complex show that there will likely be more unoccupied space within the complex itself.
Some of those advantages, according to Feland, lie in sharing infrastructure, such as parking lots and water facilities, and in the concentration of sites and services along the 42nd Street corridor. Being closer to the Alerus Center and Interstate 29 can also help ease traffic disruptions in the largely residential community near Washington Street. Regardless, the museum’s incorporation into the master plan also provides the city with a greater understanding of the effects of traffic on any progression that is also located on the site.
“I don’t think there’s a better answer one way or the other,” Grand Forks Mayor Brandon Bochenski said. “I think it’s smart to at least take a look at it (and) see if it makes sense. “
Since the Altru indoor sports complex and children’s museum are still in the conceptual stage, there are a lot of unknowns. The museum needs to keep as many functions open as possible. Most likely, the Traffic Master Plan will be finalized in July or August, at which point a resolution on the final location of the Children’s Museum will be determined.
The council also approved an agreement with the Children’s Museum related to the allocation of the $10 million in capital investment provided through the city. The funds will have to be earned as reimbursement and the museum will have to meet certain criteria to obtain those funds.
In addition, the Council will: