The name of who or what is buying the naming rights for the proposed new Grand Forks fitness center won't be revealed for some time.
A month ago, Grand Forks Park District officials said the naming sponsor would be revealed by about now. But details of the 25-year, $2.75 million naming-rights deal still are being hammered out, said Jim Bollman on Tuesday. He's one of the five members of the board of commissioners who are overseeing the project that would replace the district's Center Court Fitness Club.
The board met Tuesday evening to discuss the new health and wellness center that will be located on the southeast end of the city. The only decision made Tuesday was to give architects, Engineers-Architects, P.C. approval to begin "pre-design" work, Bollman said. The naming-rights deal, worth $100,000 per year for 20 years and $150,000 per year for the final five years, still has lots of legal niceties to work out, although the basic numbers are known, Bollman said.
The health center project, which includes upgrades to the Y Family Center downtown and some scholarship funding for disadvantaged youth, will cost about $20 million.
The park board is trying to raise the money mostly through donations and sponsorships by businesses, organizations and individuals of various programs and facilities within the center. It's also seeking federal stimulus dollars.
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Altru Health Systems also has agreed to pay an yearly rental of $225,000 to use parts of the proposed center.
The earliest construction could be green-lighted would be August.
Reach Lee at (701) 780-1237; (800) 477-6572, ext. 237; or send e-mail to slee@gfherald.com .
