$52M Contract for Rochester Sports Complex Up for Approval

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - The Rochester City Council will be asked next Monday to approve the construction contract for the new Rochester Regional Sports Complex.

City documents indicate staff is recommending that Knutson Construction of Rochester be awarded a Guaranteed Maximum Price contract totaling nearly $28 million to build the new sports facility in southeast Rochester. The City Council is also being asked to approve a budget of more than $24 million for the purchase of tax-exempt materials needed for the project.

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Rochester Voters Authorized Project Funding in 2023

Rochester voters approved the use of $65 million in city sales tax revenues to fund the project in 2023. The plans for the complex feature eight baseball/softball fields, two rectangular multiuse sports fields, 12 pickleball courts, an outdoor basketball court, and a central concessions and restrooms building. The facility plans also include a central gathering space, a regional park playground, and walking and biking trails.

City of Rochester

Amenities Cut to Keep Project Within Budget

According to materials prepared for the City Council, a number of changes have been made to the plans to keep the project within budget. They include using natural grass fields instead of artificial turf on the two rectangular multiuse fields and in the outfields of the baseball/softball diamonds that will be the dominant features of the complex. The list also includes the elimination of a planned outdoor basketball court and several other amenities.

City of Rochester

Economic Vitality Funds Target Key Restorations

City staff is proposing using $1.7 million from sales tax–supported economic vitality funding to restore the artificial turf on the rectangular fields and construct the basketball court. Dugout roofs, sideline netting, and additional shade structures are the other amenities that would be added back using the economic vitality funds.

If additional funding becomes available, staff is also recommending installing artificial turf on four of the baseball diamond outfields and including two quad bathrooms in the project at a total cost of about $3.3 million. City documents indicate the potential funding sources include money left over from the contingency budget and the sale of unneeded land that was acquired for the project.

City of Rochester

Project Timeline

To date, the city has spent about $7.7 million on property acquisition and planning/design work for the new facility. If the City Council approves the construction project, the current schedule calls for construction to begin next April with completion in the spring of 2028.

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