MOORHEAD — Members of the Minnesota House Capital Investment Committee made stops around the state Wednesday, Sept. 22, including visits to Dilworth and Moorhead, to see firsthand some of the places asking for bonding money from the state government.
The Dilworth stop was at the city's fire station, which city officials are looking to replace at the cost of about $6.5 million. Of that amount, the city is seeking about $3.2 million from a future state bonding bill.
About $2.3 million in local funds and about $975,000 in federal funds would complete the funding for the project.
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Dilworth's request for state bonding dollars is a first for the city.
Mayor Chad Olson told lawmakers residents have been making do for a long time, and they are looking to do better with a bit of assistance.
"We need your help," Olson said.
Mark Empting, who is the fire chief in Dilworth and the sheriff of Clay County, said plans call for a combination of demolition or a remodel of the existing fire station. The structure is about 40 years old and too small to accommodate the modern fire trucks and equipment the 30-member volunteer fire department uses, he said.
Members of the committee and other lawmakers, including state Sen. Kent Eken, D-Twin Valley, also made a stop at Minnesota State University Moorhead, where university officials are seeking about $19 million in bonding funds to cover the construction costs of renovating Weld Hall, the oldest building on the MSUM campus.
MSUM received state dollars in 2018 to cover the design costs of the Weld Hall project. But although it was a top priority for the Minnesota State system in the 2020 bonding session, the project's construction phase was not included in the final bonding bill for 2020.
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The next bonding bill will be crafted in 2022.
"The truth is, we can't do what we do as a university ... without support from the capital bonding process," MSUM President Anne Blackhurst told visiting lawmakers Wednesday.
She added that the Weld Hall work remains the top priority for the Minnesota State system for the 2022 bonding session.
The proposed work at Weld Hall, which officials said has not seen a major renovation for more than 50 years, includes replacing a balcony in the building's auditorium that was removed in the 1960s.
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Replacing the balcony would boost seating in the auditorium from about 370 seats to about 450.
The project also envisions the construction of a small addition that would provide an entrance to the building from the north side, which is currently the backside of Weld Hall facing Sixth Avenue.
School officials told lawmakers improved access to and within the building, particularly for individuals with disabilities, is a major goal of the renovation work.
Aspects of the proposed project that would improve accessibility include replacing internal stairways and changing the front entrance to allow visitors access to a new elevator.
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Eken, who served on the state senate bonding committee in the past, said the state has limited resources to address all of the proposed projects communities want funded.
"That's why these tours are so important to try to prioritize and determine which ones need the funding the most and what's going to be in the best interest of our region and our state," Eken said.
"It really gives you a good understanding of these projects and the important role that they play in our quality of life here in our state," he added.
