Rochester City Council Asked to Proceed With Year-Round Dome Plan

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - The Rochester City Council is being asked to move forward with the development of a year-round indoor recreational dome at the site of the Regional Sports and Recreation Complex that is currently under construction in southeast Rochester.

Nearly $1 Million Requested for Initial Design Work

The staff recommendation is on the agenda for next Monday's meeting of the City Council. It requests authorization to proceed with design work and community engagement for the project. Staff is also seeking approval of a contract for initial design work at a cost of nearly $950,000. The price tag for the final design of the facility is estimated at an additional $1.2 million.

Officials Seek Interim Financing for Project

The agenda item includes the use of more than $1.13 million from the city's Holistic Budget Stability Fund to provide interim financing for the project. Staff indicated it will bring forward options for permanently financing the project in early September.

When the proposed year-round dome was first discussed by the City Council in late April, the estimated price tag was around $55 million.

READ MORE: $55M Sports Facility Proposals Headed to Rochester City Council

Utility and Parking Decisions Needed Quickly

The issue is on a fast track because decisions concerning utility and parking adjustments to the current plans for the Regional Sports and Recreation Complex, to accommodate the addition of a year-round dome at the site, need to be made now. There had been discussion about locating the facility on the Rochester Community and Technical College campus, but officials with the college informed the city earlier this week that they are not interested in having it built there.

READ MORE: RCTC Rejects Proposal for New Rochester Recreation Dome

Plans Call for Massive Indoor Sports Facility

According to the staff recommendation, the proposal involves a 200,000- to 250,000-square-foot dome facility. The plan envisions an indoor artificial turf field for soccer, lacrosse, and other similar activities, along with indoor play space and multipurpose basketball and pickleball courts.

Construction Timeline Targets 2028 Completion

If the City Council decides to proceed with the project, the timeline calls for the preliminary design and budget to be completed before the end of this month, with community engagement efforts taking place before the end of July. The staff recommendation envisions the final design being ready in late January, with bidding finalized by the end of March and construction beginning next May and being completed in June 2028.