CONTACT: Tom Farnsworth, Parks and Recreation Director, 605.773.7407
Recreation and Events Center: Town Hall Meeting Scheduled
Pierre, S.D. –City leaders want your input about how to build a recreation and events center in Pierre and are holding a meeting to gather that information.
The City will host its first town hall meeting regarding a proposed recreation and events center on Thursday, December 17. The meeting will be held in the community room of the Pierre Area Chamber of Commerce and will begin at 7 p.m.
“As community leaders, it’s really important for the commission to understand the public sentiment regarding the building of a rec and events center,” said Pierre Mayor Laurie Gill. “This town hall meeting is an opportunity for information sharing and public input on design elements.”
The December town hall meeting will be the first in a series of three town hall meetings that are in the works concerning the recreation and events center project. The two other meetings are tentatively scheduled for February and April of next year.
“What we have right now is a proposal, a suggested design,” said Mayor Gill. “The town hall meetings will help us prioritize design features and facility amenities.”
The proposed $14.5-million dollar facility would replace the recreation space that was lost when the City Auditorium was closed in 2011. As proposed, the recreation and events center would be 57,000 square feet and capable of accommodating a wide variety of organized sports activities, as well as regional tournaments, trade shows, small concerts, meetings, and other special events.
The proposal timeline suggests construction on a new facility could begin as early as 2017 and be open for business as soon as 2019. Early estimates show special events alone could bring Pierre millions in visitor spending each year.
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