by Mike Knaak
editor@thenewsleaders.com
Two longtime St. Joseph dream projects moved one step closer to reality last week when the governor included them in his bonding list for the legislature.
Gov. Tim Walz requested $4 million for the Community Center expansion and $300,000 for East Park, part of $2.028 billion general-obligation bond proposal supporting local jobs and projects.
Area lawmakers of both parties backed legislation to fund the projects, but being on the governor’s list is “pretty impactful,” said St. Joseph City Administrator Kris Ambuehl.
If the Legislature approves the funding, the bonds would cover $4 million of the estimated $16 million price tag for the community center. The remaining money would come from a capital fundraising campaign and revenue from the city’s half-cent sales tax.
Development of East Park would receive half of its estimated $600,000 cost.
At the beginning of the legislative session a year ago, St. Joseph’s legislators, Rep. Lisa Demuth (R-Cold Spring) and Sen. Jeff Howe (R-Rockville) introduced bills supporting both projects.
Typically, bonding issues are addressed in the second year of the two-year legislative session. Lawmakers return to St. Paul on Tuesday, Feb. 11.
Ambuehl pointed out that House and Senate committees visited St. Joseph last year to learn about both projects.
The Community Center would be created by renovating and expanding the old Kennedy School. Planners see the project as a space for residents of all ages to connect. Additionally, the Jacob Wetterling Recreational Center would be part of the center as a space for young people to gather and as a resource for health and wellness.
Recreational facilities could include basketball, pickleball and volleyball courts, an elevated walking track, a climbing wall and locker rooms.
East Park would be at the southeast edge of the city, east of College Avenue and along the Sauk River. Planners envision a walking trail, nature center, watercraft landing and a dog park on a 95-acre site.
Ambuehl called the bonding money for East Park a “fantastic use of funds.”
The next step, Ambuehl said, is for local officials to work with area legislators to make sure the two projects supported by the governor also end up in the House and Senate bonding bills.
