(Spirit Lake)– Proponents of plans to build a 34-thousand square foot 2.7 million dollar indoor ice rink in Spirit Lake held a press conference late yesterday (Thurs.) to kick off the start of their capital fundraising campaign.
As KUOO news first reported a couple of weeks ago, plans call for the facility to be constructed on 3.2 acres of land that’s been donated to the Lakes Area Hockey Association on the north side of the campus of the Bedell Family YMCA in Spirit Lake. Proponents of the project say they have two years in which to get the facility constructed, or they’ll lose their lease on the land.
Brian Sudbrink of Spirit Lake is among those helping to raise money for the project. He says the project would not only benefit Spirit Lake, but a several county area as well.
Of the 2.7 million needed, 1.2 million would come through sponsorships; 650-thousand would be through a Vision Iowa Community Attraction and Tourism grant the group has applied for; 300-thousand from a grant that’s been applied for through the Okoboji Foundation; 300-thousand from counties and cities in the area; and 50-thousand through other grants.
Sudbrink is the first to admit that now is NOT a good time to be asking for money, but he says those who can see a vision and act on it even in difficult times are those that ultimately win. He says it would also help retain population in the area as well as attract additional people.
In addition to hockey and other ice-related uses, Sudbrink says such a facility would be available for use for a wide variety of other activities year-round.
If things go accordingly, a groundbreaking on the project would be held as early as the second or third quarter of 2010 with a grand opening of the facility in early 2011.
