The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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July 18, 2009

Civic center, rail line requests seen before

By Mark Fischenich

Two familiar projects top the list of Mankato-area requests for state bonding funds.

A $13.9 million request by the city of Mankato would cover half the cost of a proposed $27.8 million plan to upgrade the Alltel Center and All Seasons Arena and construct a new 1,100-seat auditorium on the civic center complex’s southeast side.

The proposal replaces a previous plan to build the auditorium plus a new hockey arena to serve as home for the Minnesota State University women’s team. Instead, the new plan retains the auditorium, drops a new hockey arena and focuses on upgrading the 5,000-seat civic center — where the MSU men’s team plays — and All Seasons Arena, the current home of the women’s team.

The city’s share of the cost would be covered by an existing local sales tax.

The other area project seen previously by the Legislature is the upgrade of the Minnesota Valley Regional Rail Authority line that serves Sibley County and four other counties stretching from the southwest metro to Hanley Falls. The 2010 request is for $10 million, part of a multi-year effort to modernize the 94-mile railroad to handle heavier trains and allow for speeds of 25 mph.

State, federal and local governments have already invested nearly $23 million into the line. By 2014, the rail authority — owned by the five counties it serves — hopes to add another $67 million. An additional $30 million — $10 million in each of the next three even-numbered years — is being sought from the state.

Several other area projects will also be contending for bonding funds in 2010.

Le Sueur interchange
The city of Le Sueur is seeking more than $3.9 million for a new interchange on Highway 169 and Le Sueur County Road 28.

The interchange would serve a new industrial park on the city’s north side, a 154-acre parcel purchased by the city when it began to run short of industrial development sites. City officials say the industrial park will provide room for growth over the next 50 years.

Le Sueur has invested more than $5 million in land acquisition and utilities for the industrial park.

Mankato bus garage
The Minnesota Department of Transportation is seeking more than $29 million for greater Minnesota transit projects, including $5.2 million for a Mankato facility. The city is planning for a combined bus garage, maintenance area and office space for its bus system.

Other parts of the MnDOT request include $13.6 million for a Rochester transit garage, nearly $10 million for a multi-modal transit terminal in Duluth, and park and ride lots totaling $52,000 in Northfield and $22,000 in Stewartville.

Vernon Center sewer
Vernon Center, the Blue Earth County town of 330 residents, is seeking $700,000 to reduce the amount of clear water getting into its sanitary sewer system.

The city’s sewer system, built primarily in the 1940s, is seeing clear water seeping in through cracks and poor pipe connections. Those flaws can cause the sewage treatment system to be overwhelmed during wet times, risking the overflow of raw sewage into the Blue Earth River, according to the city’s request for state help.

The state funds would pay half the anticipated cost with local funds covering the rest.

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