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Next phase of Trafton renovation leads Mankato-area legislative requests

Bonding bill

The request for $25.5 million for the next phase of Trafton Science Center renovation is the biggest item on Mankato's 2008 legislative list.

2007-07-18
By Dan Linehan, Free Press Staff Writer [published in The Free Press, Mankato, MN, 7/18/2007]

Mankato leaders plan to ask the Legislature for money to renovate Minnesota State University’s science building, plan an addition to the Alltel Center and build a new trans­portation headquarters.

The largest is a $25.5 mil­lion request for renovation of MSU’s Trafton Science Center. The heating and cool­ing systems will be replaced and the labs and offices will be overhauled, among other work. The entire project will cost $29.2 million when left­over funding from the 2006 request is included.

Already, $ 1.2 billion in bonding requests have come in from cities, counties and other local entities. That’s on top of the $2 billion that state agencies have requested for roads, bridges, mass transit, classroom buildings, water projects and routine mainte­nance.

The Finance Department forwarded the wish list to lawmakers Monday.

“We’ll be saying no to $3 out of every $4 in requests,” said Rep. Alice Hausman, the St. Paul Democrat who chairs the House bonding commit­tee.

The city of Mankato is also asking for $2.5 million to plan long- term changes to the Alltel Center, including a pos­sible expansion for women’s hockey.

City Manager Pat Hentges said the money, which the city first requested late last ses­sion, is a long shot given the myriad other civic center requests across the state.

“I’m not necessarily opti­mistic that we’re going to be there at the end of the day, but I think it’s wise that we plan for it,” he said.

Hentges has said many times that Mankato is at a dis­advantage because MSU funds hockey games here while the city (through the half-percent sales tax) is responsible for the original building cost and upkeep. Elsewhere, he said the state pays for Division I hockey and civic center expan­sions.

He said the long-term bor­rowing plan might involve an estimated $ 20 million over three bonding cycles, or six years.

Another big-ticket request is a new regional headquarters for the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

This year, the request has climbed to just under $24 mil­lion, up from $ 20.8 in the 2007 request. In 2004, the request was for $15.7 million.

It remains the No. 1 request from MnDOT, spokeswoman Rebecca Arndt said.

There are also two smaller projects in the region.

North Mankato is asking for $350,000 to help acquire 14 acres for the expansion of Caswell Park.

There is a $493,000 request to clean up Lake Titloe and $ 175,000 for planning for future efforts. That number rose from the $350,000 figure, which was in this year’s bond­ing bill vetoed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

Pawlenty will propose his bonding budget by Jan. 15. The Legislature tends to weigh in during the spring.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

For more Free Press news go to www.mankatofreepress.com.

 

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