MSF offers arena as gift to Fargo Park District

By Helmut Schmidt

October 30, 2007 at 11:00 PM

The Metro Sports Foundation offered today to give the Fargo Park District the privately funded Urban Plains Center hockey arena as a gift.

MSF board member Bruce Furness said the $25 million single ice sheet arena, and a $12 million four ice-sheet tournament facility to be built by 2009, would give the Park District a $37 million asset "free and clear" to solve a recreation need and be an economic boon.

"This is a gift to the citizens of Fargo," Furness said.

The gift does have a caveat though.

Furness asked the board to approve the deal at its November meeting. A quick agreement would make it possible to issue $10 million in tax-free bonds by Dec. 31. The bonds, along with more to be issued in 2008, would be used to complete the facility, which is now under construction in southwest Fargo.

Park Board members, while receptive, were also a bit leary about whether a quick decision on the Halloween day treat would end up being an expensive trick.

Joel Vettel said he understands that businesspeople want to move projects quickly, but he wants the public to have input.

"They have one boss to consider. We have 90,000," Vettel said. "The public should demand input into the whole process."

Vettel says Furness, the former mayor Fargo, brings a lot of credibility to the project, but it still must be scrutinized.

Barb Johnson was also concerned about who would be on the hook if the facility failed to meet financial projections. Would the gift become a financial liability?

"Is Ace that altruistic (to give up a $37 million facility)? Is the foundation that altruistic?," she said.

Backers said the private project has experienced a series of setbacks over the past several months.

The decision to make the gift came about because the MSF couldn't get a property tax exemption, Furness said. The extra $500,000 to $750,000 a year, depending on how much of the total facility was finished, made it impossible to pay the bills, he said.

The Park Board's next scheduled meeting is Nov. 13.

MSF offers arena as gift to Fargo Park District

The Metro Sports Foundation offered today to give the Fargo Park District the privately funded Urban Plains Center hockey arena as a gift. MSF board member Bruce Furness said the $25 million single ice sheet arena, and a $12 million four ice-shee...