In 2011, the City of Pierre closed its aging auditorium after it was deemed unsafe.That left a hole in the community's recreational opportunities, but a new proposal could change that.
Land nestled near the city hall in Pierre used to be home to sporting events and activities in the community.When safety concerns prompted the city auditorium's demise, those events were displaced.
"Recreation groups were scrambling to find places to practice to hold events. Thanks to the community partners, they were able to find places to have practice, to hold games," Park & Recreation Citizen Advisory Board Chair Anne Lewis said.
A new proposal could make those arrangements a thing of the past.
"What we've been doing is looking for the type of a facility that could be versatile and have both recreational space and event space," Pierre Mayor Laurie Gill said.
The proposal at hand calls for a 57,000 square-foot recreation and events center located on a piece of donated land on the northeast corner of town.
"It has floor space that can be used for recreational facilities, events that need a flat floor space such as trade shows. We could have concerts in there if we so desire. We've got the seating design for up to 4,000 at this point," Gill said.
The project, which is currently estimated at $14.5 million, would be paid for through a funding plan of existing sources that Mayor Laurie Gill says won't increase taxes for local residents.
"We're very conscious about providing a facility to replace the recreational needs, bring more people into the community for events, without raising the taxes of the people who live here," Gill said.
"There's a lot of good things that could come from this, both for our people here locally, in terms of the people who participate in recreation, for the people who are business people, bringing people to Pierre for sporting events, other kinds of events," Lewis said.
If the plan gets the green light, the doors could be open as soon as 2019.
Two townhall meetings have been held on the proposal. Mayor Gill says a third meeting is coming up sometime in April.
In June, the fate of the proposal is expected to be in the hands of the city commission.