The tax-funded Alerus Center will open its doors to exercise walkers on a trial run in November for a nominal fee, officials said Wednesday.
The Events Center Commission, which oversees management of the facility, voted unanimously to allow the activity, which comes with operating costs of $225 a day, including lights and the labor needed to monitor walkers.
To offset the expense, the Alerus Center will charge users $2 a day to walk around the facility's 1,700 foot-long square upper concourse, according to Tami Pearson, Alerus marketing manager.
Three laps around the facility would equal roughly a mile, said Jeremy Linstad, Alerus director of operations. Walkers will have to sign a liability waiver before using the facility.
Pearson said commissioners decided to try it on a trial basis after numerous requests from the public.
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"It's something that people have been talking about since Day 1 since it is the city's building," Pearson said. "The fee will be an issue, but we hope people will realize why it is necessary."
Notices and details will be placed on the Alerus Center's official Web site, in the Herald and posted on Alerus' entrances closer to Nov. 1, when the events center will be opened to walkers, Pearson said.
The facility will not be available for walkers on holidays, such as Thanksgiving, or on certain event days, she said. The plan is to let walkers use the building during business hours, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., through Nov. 30. Enough information should be available for the commission to evaluate whether to continue allowing walking by its regular monthly meeting in December.
"If we do, it would be a seasonal deal probably November through March," Pearson said.
Curt Kreun, City Council representative on the commission, offered the motion to allow walking at Wednesday's meeting.
"We want to do it if we can," he said. "It's just that people don't realize that there is a specific cost."
On top of lights, labor and cleaning costs, the Alerus Center had to increase its annual insurance premium by $750 to allow exercise walking in the building, Kreun said.
He said that commissioners questioned the added insurance expense, wondering why exercise walking couldn't be considered just another event or public use of the facility. Insurers told Alerus officials that the type of activity brings the higher premium because it offers more exposure to risks.
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Kreun added that, possibly in the future, if walking continues, volunteers could be used to monitor walkers' safety and building security. But, during the November trial, officials want to evaluate worst-case costs and building impacts.
"We're not totally sure of what is going to be required," Kreun said. "We need to get a feel for what is going to take place."
Kreun said commissioners understand the Alerus Center is the people's building, but operating costs and the need for liability protection, prevent free use of the facility for walkers. He said taxpayers might be even more upset if they were forced to foot part of a large legal settlement.
"We would love to open it up and say 'have at it, it will be open all the time, use it as much as possible,' " he said, "but under today's restrictions, it doesn't work that way."
