ROCHESTER — The variety of sites for the regional recreation and sports complex in Rochester has been delayed, however, the features appear to have been reduced from 3 to two.
It leaves two other sites in play.
The concern of the agreements:
While the agreements outline the potential costs of purchasing land, the most detailed study takes place on the potential prices related to the preparation of each site for development and its connection to the city’s infrastructure.
Yetzer said a site recommendation is expected to go to the City Council before the purchase agreement extensions expire in February, but no date has been set.
“Our purpose is not to go beyond that, so we are moving to look for anything in the first few months for the board to act,” he said.
Rochester Division of Facilities and Facilities Director Ben Boldt said work on designing and creating plans for the new facility’s structure continues to move forward in parallel with the variety process, with the hope that the identity of a back schedule of a The location will report other paintings provided by 2025.
The City Council has already approved three contracts related to design and construction of the complex. They are:
“We’re looking to make a decision about what our scope really is, what we’re going to be able to build with the cash that we have, and that’s been a bit of an eye-opening process,” he said, adding that the initial concepts presented in discussions about the expansion sales tax were based on estimates and a design of 5-10%.
Boldt said that he hopes that the design workshops will continue until February and, in all likelihood, it will be launched before the final decisions.
Initial plans called for the creation of mixed-use indoor courts and outdoor fields that could cater to football, soccer and lacrosse, as well as similar sports.
“The indoor courts are still geared toward multi-purpose, where we can do basketball, wrestling, volleyball, dance, cheer and the whole spectrum of indoor activities,” Boldt said, adding that indoor and outdoor pickleball options remain in the plans.
The outdoor fields, however, could be in flux.
Boldt said recent discussions have advised replacing certain fields with baseball and softball fields, based on market studies and the draw potential of tournaments.
“I would say it is, it is starting to lean more into the diamond fields space, but even if we do end up with diamonds, we could still fit smaller sized rectangle fields within that diamond,” he said.
Final plans will most likely emerge from ongoing discussions about the network, an updated review of needs, available areas, and potential partnerships.
Boldt said partnerships can expand opportunities by offering more investment or creating progression opportunities outside the gates of the planned complex’s footprint.
“We’re trying to have those conversations and see what we can do to try to increase our budgets,” he said. “It’s still ongoing. “
The last two features of the site offer more opportunities for advancement outside the area of the mandatory facilities, as they are connected to agricultural progress lands that can be annexed in the city.
“Initially we were looking for that 75- to 100-acres parcel,” Boldt said. “Both of the sites have more space than that.”
While city councils are trying to offer functions to the city council in early 2025, Boldt said that the structure of the planned complex could begin by the end of the year, if everything is ready.
However, he said that the initial structure would not be the last of the project.
“Probably not everything will be ready the first day, but we will try to do the best we can with the budget we have,” he said.