Ice Skating Facility
RECEIVED
JAN 2 2 200~
Interoffice
MEMORANDUM
City Of Meridian
Cíty Clerk Office
To:
Mayor Robert D. Corrie and Meridían City Council
William G. Berg, Jr., Doug Strong
Cc:
From:
Wm. F. Nichols
Subject:
Ice Skating Facility
Date:
January 22,2004
Mayor Corrie and Council Members:
Last summer I met with Bob Aldridge, one of the founders of the non-profit
corporation formed to develop funding for an ice skating facility to be built in Meridian. The
facility would include two "sheets" of ice, with additional space for locker rooms, and other
accessory facilities.
The non-profit corporation needs four to five acres of space, furnished through a
lease of at least 20 years, at a very nominal rent. They also want the City to provide the
inftastructure improvements, such as curb, gutter, sidewalk, and street improvements, along with
sewer and water stubbed to the property. They would prefer to get any and all díscounts they can
on water/sewer connection fees and inspection fees. They also would expect the City to assist in
the review and design of, and placement of, the facility upon the property.
The corporation is willing to co-locate the facility with other general or special
uses, and they primarily see that by sharing a common parking lot. They will build the buildíng
and construct the landscaping and parking lot. They anticipate that they will emphasize public
usage of the facility, which will include allocation of time for school skating and hockey
programs, developing programs for dísabled people to enjoy the ice, and develop tree and reduced
fee programs, particularly for youth. In recognition of the City's contribution towards the facility
by providing the land at low cost, the group is also wiI1ing to díscuss díscounts to bona fide City
of Meridian residents. The group anticipates that they will raise all of the funds sufficient to build
the facility before entering into the lease. They expect that it will take at least 2.5 million dollars
to construct the bare bones facility, and want to raise more money than that.
Before we can proceed to develop a Memorandum of Understanding, it is
necessary for the Mayor and Council to answer some questions. Among these are: 1) the
projection of the time trame within which water and sewer service will be available to the
property, 2) a projection of the costs for those utility extensions, and 3) a commitment as to how
those inftastructure improvements will be paid for. Along with the utility extensions, there will
need to be a projection of, and plan for payment of, the cost of street related inftastructure
improvements. The group also needs to know whether the City has any intent to take over the
facility at the end of the lease, or at the end of any renewals that might be granted. Because the
Corporation intends to sublease space to commercial entities such as a pro shop and food
vendors, the corporation needs a commitment, or at least the City to answer the question, whether
such leases will be permitted, and if so, whether the City intends to participate in any revenue
trom the subleases. The Corporation intends to sell advertising which will be dísplayed on the
walls inside the facility, and they need to knnw whether the City has any objection to that
advertising or to the Corporation being able to "name" various portions of the facility in
recognition of significant donations or contributions. The City also needs to provide direction on
the minimum lease term, and whether that can be extended, and if so, the length of each extension
and the number of extensions that would be permitted.
At the request of Doug Strong, we are proceeding to finalize purchase of the
remaining 12 acres of the Borup property. Therefore, the timing of the díscussion on these issues
related to the ice skating facility is appropriate.
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