Maple Grove Sets $90M Referendum To Update Community Center

MAPLE GROVE, MN — Maple Grove voters are set to decide the fate of a massive proposal to update the city’s Community Center.

Maple Grove officials have put a $90 million referendum on the Nov. 8 general election ballot, asking residents to approve a half-cent local option sales tax to fund additions and renovations.

Using a sales tax instead of a property tax levy to fund the Community Center updates means costs will be shared with nonresidents and athletic organizations that use the facility, officials said.

Officials said about 55 percent of revenues from the half-cent sales tax would be generated from nonresidents who use the facility and patronize local businesses, citing projections from research by the University of Minnesota.

Maple Grove is also seeking $18 million in state bonding funds from the Minnesota State Legislature. The city plans to use up to $8 million from its federal grants, sponsorships and donations for the project.

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The Community Center has been well-maintained since it opened in 1997, but its age and usage over the past quarter-century means “repairs are needed to modernize the center and ensure it can serve the region’s growing population for many years to come,” officials said on the city's "Growing Together" website.

Approval of the referendum would fund a project to expand the Community Center by about 312,000 square feet, which would create space for new pools, a walking track and fitness center, an expanded event and banquet space, and more space for senior programs and arts.

The referendum would also fund infrastructure improvements, like updated roofs and mechanical systems, while reducing the building’s energy use by about 80 percent, officials said.

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Officials said they also plan to use “environmentally preferred” materials for more than half of the planned additions and renovations, and replace plumbing fixtures to cut water usage in half.

The Community Center is used by more than 650,000 residents each year, officials said.

If Maple Grove voters approve the $90 million referendum in November, design work would take place throughout 2023, with construction to occur in 2024-25. Officials estimate all expansion and renovation projects would be completed by the summer of 2026.

Maple Grove residents can submit feedback or ask questions about the Community Center plans by clicking here.

In-person early voting starts Sept. 23, the same day requested absentee ballots will be mailed to residents, officials said.

Click here to register to vote.