Story originally printed in the Winona Daily News or online at www.winonadailynews.com

Published - Friday, May 02, 2008

Arena Predesign study to address needs of area festivals and Winona State

By Mark Sommerhauser / Winona Daily News

A predesign study of a proposed multipurpose arena in Winona now must include the Great River Shakespeare Festival, Minnesota Beethoven Festival and Winona State University events, Minnesota lawmakers have said.

The stipulation was signed into law in April as part of Minnesota’s omnibus bonding bill, though Winona officials say they didn’t learn the details until this week.

The City Council on Monday likely will vote to establish a new committee to guide a predesign study of the new multipurpose arena concept, Mayor Jerry Miller said.

The Legislature originally appropriated $250,000 in 2006 to predesign a facility for only the Shakespeare Festival.

But the concept changed in December 2007, when a group of would-be private donors said they would pledge money to build a center for WSU athletics and other large events — a move that spurred objections from local arts groups who worried their suggestions could be shoved aside for a WSU-based sports facility.

A Shakespeare predesign committee suspended its work after city leaders announced support for the multipurpose facility. That group had examined three potential sites for the facility, though that list also was scrapped.

Lawmakers say a multipurpose arena makes the most sense. It would generate more private donations and boost operating revenues. Fundraising efforts for a Shakespeare-only facility “haven’t had much success,” Rep. Gene Pelowski, DFL-Winona, said.

“With the addition of Beethoven, that brings some potential private-sector donations,” he said.

The private donations would then boost the proposal’s chances at state money.

Construction will cost about $30 million, the group of private donors has estimated.

The group hopes to raise $5 million in private pledges, and most of the remaining construction funds would come from a bonding request to the Minnesota Legislature in 2010.

WSU would operate and maintain the facility under the new proposal, but it’s not yet clear whether WSU or the city would own it.

The more events the arena can book, the greater its operating revenues, said City Manager Eric Sorensen.

“The intention is to have a facility that can be used in so many ways that it actually is functional financially,” Sorensen said.

Miller said he will propose that the new predesign committee, which could issue bids for a new study as early as June, include members of the original committee plus WSU representatives.

Contact Mark Sommerhauser at (507) 453-3514 or msommerhauser@winonadailynews.com