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Luverne City Council members took action at their Dec. 8 meeting to approve plans and specifications for the pool and fitness center expansion and improvements.
The $5 million project, which includes an outdoor splash pad on the south side of the pool, could be completed in May of 2022 if all goes as planned.
In addition to the splash pad, improvements will include:
•new locker rooms.
•four family changing rooms.
•flat space rooms for group aerobic exercise.
•new office space and staff area.
•larger rooms for both 24-hour weightlifting and aerobic exercise machines.
•new mechanical and heat, ventilation and air-conditioning for the facility.
According to the timeline discussed at Tuesday’s meeting, bid letting will be in January of 2021, and the yearlong construction process will start next spring.
The council discussed the fact that facility use is currently limited to only 50 percent due to the pandemic, so timing the project during an already limited use would be appropriate.
City Administrator John Call said this project wasn’t hatched overnight.
“The Luverne Aquatics and Fitness Center Expansion has been on the city’s planning priority list since the January 2016 goal-setting session by the Luverne City Council,” he said.
The project went through a public planning process in the summer of 2016 facilitated by the city with technical assistance from Sanford Health.
A steering committee was appointed by the mayor in 2019, and the committee was assisted by CO-OP Architecture from Sioux Falls.
At Tuesday’s meeting, facility manager Sam Honerman said she’s excited about the project moving forward after so much time planning.
“Good things come to those who wait,” she said. “This will be a phenomenal facility.”
How it will be paid for
At Tuesday’s meeting, the council moved forward with plans for a $5.8 million tax abatement bond issue to be repaid over 20 years at an estimated 1.83 percent interest.
The amount would cover construction, furnishings and equipment, plus bond issue costs.
The total taxes abated in any one year cannot exceed ten percent of the net tax capacity of the city. For Luverne this amount would be a maximum of $340,000 of annual principal.
The city has requested that Rock County participate in the abatement, which would amount to roughly 175 parcels being taken off the tax rolls for the period of the abatement.
If Rock County declines to participate, the city will abate taxes for 20 years with a 20-year debt issuance. If the county participates, the city will abate the taxes for a 15-year period
The county will take up the matter Dec. 22.
Minnesota requires a public hearing in order for the city to issue tax abatement bonds, and that hearing is set for Jan. 12.