Open House For A Potential Bismarck Indoor Rec & Sports Center

Community Gathering

According to a press release from Bismarck Parks and Rec, the community of Bismarck is invited to an open house and meeting on a potential Indoor Recreation and Sports Facility feasibility study. This will take place on Wednesday, October 28th at Bismarck Public Works, located at 601 South 26th Street.

The open house portion will take place from 11 am to 2 pm, where you can stop by and learn about the study and talk one-on-one with project consultants. There will not be a formal presentation at this gathering.

(SEE ALSO: 7 Items Prohibited at the Bismarck Event Center)

The community meeting will be from 6 pm to 7:30 pm, where a presentation on the study's progress and findings so far. Consultants will also answer questions from those who attend.

Previous Community Meetings and Survey Responses

At both events, consultants will share what they've learned from the August community meetings and from the survey responses about what residents want in a future indoor recreation and sports facility.

This study is part of an ongoing effort to explore future indoor recreation opportunities in Bismarck, and is a joint venture between the City of Bismarck and Bismarck Parks and Rec. The results will help guide decisions about future recreation investments that support the community's quality of life and economic vitality.

I spoke with Jason Tomanek, City of Bismarck Administrator, and asked him what this Indoor Rec Center and Sports Complex could potentially be. Jason said, "At this point it's wide open. This facility could host tournaments for sports like basketball and volleyball, and could include artificial turf for sports like baseball and lacrosse." A lot of it will depend on the results from the surveys that will be revealed at the open house. This facility could have a little of something for everyone, even a fitness center. There's no word yet on where this facility could be potentially built.

How Will it be Funded?

Again, this is wide open. It could be a combination of public and private partnerships or other donations, or a potential community vote if that wanted to pay for it with a sales tax. I'm just guessing that, in this current economic climate, this could be a tough sell- another tax when we are already paying through the roof on just about everything. I'm all for venues like this and continuing to make Bismarck a prosperous and growing community, but it has to fiscally make sense.

You could learn more about this project here.