Staff Report

Back in May, Cottage Grove Mayor Myron Bailey used his Mayor’s Moment at the CottageGroveMN You-Tube channel to talk about how a proposed $32.3 million Community Center up for referendum action this November 2, would help anchor a 74-acre development to be known as ‘The Shoppes at Cottage View.’ With Bailey further reporting that the city was marketing the site and did have developers interested in the project, ‘The Shoppes at Cottage View” would be connected to the city-wide trail system. The proposed Community Center as an anchor for the project would include an outdoor aquatic center, indoor playground, sports dome, and community spaces, and would be connected to Ravine Regional Park via an underpass trail connection. Resuming the discussion in the June Mayor’s Moment, Bailey continued his informational pitch for the proposed Community Center.

“The Community Center on the ballot includes a 110,000 square foot sports dome,” he shared, including a walking track to surround the sports fields. “The biggest selling point on this part of the project is that sports domes typically recover 75 to 125 percent of their operational costs,” Bailey said. With northern winters dependably intervening, a sports dome could also help out with recreation over the cold months, as it could be used for grass-bottomed sports.

“A sports dome is generally used by teams which play on grass, including soccer, la crosse, football, basketball, and softball,” Bailey said. “The track of course could be enjoyed by walkers of all ages” regardless of weather conditions, he said.

“We’re also studying the idea of including pickleball courts inside the dome to truly make this a multi-use facility,” he said. “Next month, in the Mayor’s Moment, we’ll give you in-depth look at the proposed 50-meter indoor pool and aquatic center. Until then, I’m Myron Bailey.”