DETROIT LAKES — Should the Detroit Lakes Pavilion be torn down and replaced with a year-round building that could serve as an event center?
That was one of the questions posed at a public input open house hosted by the city Tuesday at the Pavilion.
The city has a $78,800 contract with planning and design firm RDG of Omaha, Neb., to look at options for three areas: the Pavilion and the park land around it; the city ice arenas; and West Lake Drive between Washington Avenue and Legion Road.
No presentation was given at the public meeting on Tuesday, but several city council members, including Ron Zeman and Matt Boeke, were there to answer any questions, as were several RDG consultants. Comments provided by the public will be incorporated into an overarching vision for the three focus areas.
A number of easels were set up with design elements, including one showing three existing facilities that could serve as examples for a replacement pavilion. People could put green stickers on the one they liked best, and could write comments on a large sheet of paper at a central table.
“We had a really good turnout last night,” City Administrator Kelcey Klemm said Wednesday.
The Pavilion is the main focus of the consulting contract, but the firm will also look at options for the city arenas since there is talk of adding a sheet of ice or improving the existing arenas.
And as long as they are already in town, the firm will also revisit its 2018 recommendations for West Lake Drive and add any necessary tweaks or improvements, Klemm said.
The Pavilion is essentially a three-season facility, while an event center that replaced it would be available to use year-round, with year-round bathrooms, Klemm said.
The Pavilion’s foundation isn’t solid, Klemm said. “The foundation undulates – there’s so much movement on that building – different sides have shifted, and the dance floor is higher than the rest,” he said.
So city officials are asking questions about a possible replacement for the historic Detroit Lakes Pavilion, which opened its doors on Sept. 10, 1915, with 2,000 people in attendance.
“What’s the right-sized event center for our community?” Klemm asked. “Who are the users using the Pavilion today – is it serving them well or is it lacking? And what are the other potential users?”
Several focus groups have also been part of the process, including one made up of West Lake Drive property owners and one for the Pavilion made up of different users, community organizers and park advocates, Klemm said.
Three facilities were displayed as “possible precedent projects” for the Pavilion:
The first, Jester Park Nature Center, is a beautiful glass and wood structure that cost $10 million to build in 2016, but that price tag includes 20 acres, plus a warehouse converted into an outdoor recreation and wellness center. It’s located near Des Moines, Iowa.
The second, Crossroads Pavilion Event Center, cost $5.5 million to build and opened in 2017. It is a 14,500-square-foot state-of-the-art event center in Sheldon, Iowa, located on the edge of a pond, with capacity for up to 750 guests for events like a concert, and can comfortably hold up to 430 guests at banquet tables for receptions or seminars.
The third is a 1,200-square-foot facility at Drake Park in Des Moines that underwent a $765,000 renovation and expansion last year – going from an 86-year-old open shelter to an enclosed year-round event and assembly space for up to 75 people.
If the Detroit Lakes City Council decides to replace the Pavilion, city voters may be asked to extend the existing half-cent local sales tax to pay for it. That tax was approved a few years ago to pay for the $6.7 million police station, which is on track to be paid off next year, Klemm said. The tax brought in $1.9 million last year.
Any redirecting of that half-cent sales tax toward a new project will require approval by both local voters and the state Legislature.
Missed the meeting? Your opinions and ideas can be directed to the design team through the city at info@cityofdetroitlakes.com.