The MPRB website states "Development of a new, high quality sports complex grew out of a recommendation in l997 from the Select Committee on Youth Sports." Per contemporaneous press reports, the Neiman Complex was developed 1) to address a shortage of soccer fields, 2) because our kids needed better quality fields, and 3) so that children and their families could learn the history of the Fort Snelling area.
The project cost grew from $6 million in 1998 to $14 million by 2003 when the park opened. This marks the first time the MPRB has used bonds to finance such a project - $8 million of those bonds have been sold since the last City election. I'm not sure if these figures include planning, design, and the lawsuit brought by the preservationists. The Ft Snelling Neiman complex is located on 117 acres of land. State of MN DNR owns 100 of those acres. MPRB owns 17 acres - about $6 million of the $14 million was spent purchasing the 17 acres. Use of these acres is restricted because they are part of a historic site. $2 million was spent to bring water/sewer service to the site. The remaining $6 million was spent on athletic field improvements - the athletic fields are located on DNR land. We had 3 soccer fields on leased land before the MPRB undertook this project. Today, there are 8 soccer fields at Ft Snelling for a net increase of 5 soccer fields. We also added 5 baseball and softball fields - I don't know if there was a baseball/soccer field shortage when this project was undertaken. Advocates will say - There's a tennis complex out there. Yes, there is & it looks like a good program. It's a tennis center with a computer lab and a mentoring program for grade school children. Originally, the tennis center wanted to locate close to downtown. It was 100% donated, built and owned by a nonprofit corporation that plans to donate the facility to the MPRB in 18 years. This is the 2nd large tennis nonprofit located in south Minneapolis - Urban Tennis operates out of 40th and Nicollet. The tennis center is sited on land owned by the MPRB. The failed in-line skating development owned by The Fort LLC is also located on acreage owned by the MPRB. The 2.5 million in liens filed against this parcel equals almost what we paid for the land. We will have to see how this is resolved but a grave concern is that the MPRB issued a longterm lease to a private vendor without ensuring that the land title would remain clear and unencumbered. The bonds backing Ft Snelling were net debt bonds sold through the City of Minneapolis. These bonds are backed by 1) golf course revenues and 2) local government aid revenues. LGA is pretty much gone. Bond payments are currently $1 million a year and it's my understanding that golf course revenues are being used to make the payments. Field rental operations The MPRB planned to make money off renting the athletic fields - essentially this facility is in competition with Blaine and other suburban parks. The lease payment to DNR is set at $50,000+ a year PLUS a percentage of the rental fees. The term of the lease is 30 years. In 2003, the annual lease payment was about $120,000. MPRB also pays for maintenance, repairs, water, sewage, reservations, etc. In 2003, Ft Snelling posted a net operating loss of $75,000. 2003 was the first year the complex was open for an entire year. Fort Snelling Neiman Complex is in a different category from our neighborhood parks for it is considered an enterprise project - a project that is supposed to produce a revenue stream for the MPRB. It is not considered a neighborhood park by the MPRB. See the website. In summary, what did we get at Fort Snelling Neiman? A net of 10 new athletic fields that we don't own plus a tennis center that was going to be built anyway; 17 acres of expensive restricted use land; $14 million in bond indebtedness plus interest and a $2.5 million lien. Fort Snelling is going to cost us over $1 million a year for many years - and we are locked in. Porta-potties, wading pools, lifeguard hours, warming house hours and summer rec programs have all been on the chopping block - yet we went ahead with Ft Snelling. In Powderhorn, thanks to the leadership of Mike Kehoe, Powderhorn was given about $180,000 to match a grant to clean up Lake Powderhorn - a project that overlapped the development of Ft Snelling Neiman. It took 4 years to get that funding approved. Field quality is lousy at many of our parks (usually because they are heavily used.) And I am sure there are many more stories about no funds or cut funds in the system. Our MPRB budget choices now and in future years will be limited because of the need to pay for Ft Snelling Neiman. The Ft Snelling Neiman Center is an issue unto itself - but it also suggests that we need a community discussion and more citizen involvement to set priorities before the MPRB purchases more parkland, undertakes any more enterprise projects, or takes on any more bonded debt. Shawne FitzGerald Powderhorn REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
