Red Baron Arena expansion proposed
Hockey supporters address Marshall City Council
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MARSHALL -- In the 10 years since the Red Baron Arena and Expo opened in Marshall, participation in hockey programs has grown, supporters said. It's leading to some crowding - and the need for a building expansion, they said.
This week, Ty Brouwer and Marshall Amateur Hockey Association President Mike Boerboom brought forward a proposal for a building addition at the Red Baron Arena during a Marshall City Council work session.
The proposed expansion would have space for off-ice hockey training and warm-ups, and possibly storage space, Brouwer said. He said MAHA has committed $600,000 toward an addition to the Red Baron Arena and Expo.
"There's no decisions tonight, but this is good information," Marshall Mayor Bob Byrnes said Tuesday.
Council members had positive feedback about the proposed training facility.
"This idea was brought up just because we have no space at the Red Baron right now, and when the (Fairbanks) Ice Dogs are in town, a lot of the players are warming up on that top mezzanine while fans are trying to walk in," Brouwer told council members. "Also, we have kids warming up in the hallway downstairs where the locker rooms are, and there's parents walking in, fans walking in. There's a lot of congestion."
"For sure, the Red Baron has allowed for growth in our hockey numbers," Boerboom told council members. "If you look back to 2016 when we would have moved into the facility, we had about 143 players total. So far this year . . . we're at 210."
Boerboom said some of MAHA's biggest numbers were in the younger levels of youth hockey. He said MAHA had about 60 children at the mites level, which is for kids about five to eight years old.
Brouwer said he reached out to Marshall Parks and Recreation Superintendent Preston Stensrud last year to discuss building addition possibilities. The southeast corner of the Red Baron Arena and Expo could work as the spot for a building addition.
"I think that there's been a need for a dryland expansion for the players at the area," he told council members.
Brouwer said a dryland facility is one that would have synthetic ice where hockey players can work on making shots from different angles, as well as an area with rubber floor mats where players can do warm-ups and stretches.
One possible building addition floor plan that Brouwer showed city council members included dryland facility space, city storage and an equipment storage room for MAHA. Willmar-based architectural firm Engan Associates estimated the project would cost about $1 million, plus a $68,000 architectural fee, he said.
"I did a little research on my own and reached out to local contractors that I work with that also have some hockey connections," Brouwer said.
Based on that research, estimated costs for building, electrical and HVAC came to a total of about $702,000. Those figures were as of May, he said.
Brouwer also researched an option for a dryland facility without city storage space. Estimated costs for that configuration totaled about $543,000, as of September, he said.
"I have presented this to MAHA a few times, to the board," Brouwer said. "They have committed the $600,000 to add this addition to the Red Baron facility."
He said they also plan to do fundraising efforts if the building addition is approved.
Marshall City Administrator Sharon Hanson said there were some different possibilities for moving forward with the project. The city and MAHA could have an agreement where MAHA constructs the facility and then turns it over to the city for operations and maintenance. MAHA could build the facility and the city could contribute financially. The third option would be for the city to design and construct the facility.
Hanson said if the city does contribute to the project, they would have to consider whether it would be financially feasible.
"Honestly, the easiest path forward is to let MAHA build this, and we have an agreement with them," she said.
Boerboom said MAHA's goal was not to own the facility in the long term.
Brouwer said Friday that going forward, the plan will be to continue with the design process until the proposed building addition plan is ready to be brought back before the city council for approval.