Local group pitches recreational fields complex and downtown park to School Board

A community coalition representing multiple groups pitched an optimistic and short time lined proposal to the Decorah Community School Board Monday night. The group, known as REPSI, is proposing a joint project with the City of Decorah, Decorah Community Schools, Winneshiek County, Luther College, and Decorah Parks and Recreation.

The project, estimated at $1.75 million, would involve Luther College providing land at the corner of Pole Line Road and Highway 52 that would accommodate one full size soccer field, multiple smaller and flexibly designed fields, green space, two softball fields, one practice softball field, a hiking trail, a cross country training space, restrooms and concession area. The project would also involve repair and expansion of the tennis courts downtown, adjacent to a new multiple use park area that could be used by Farmers Market as well as potentially tie into a bike trail greeting center.

City Administrator Jerry Freund said the project would involve grant applications (Iowa Great Places, and Vision Iowa), the potential of city and county funding, and donations. There are already two private lead gifts, including one to fund the cross county training area. Decorah Schools has for some time committed $125,000 toward the tennis court project and the city has also committed monies to that part of the project. A likely result of the project would be the transfer of city owned property where girls' softball is played to the school district and the school would assume maintenance of that facility. The transfer of the current downtown softball diamond to the Luther location is key to the whole project falling into place. Another part of the downtown park development would be the consideration of how to make an efficient and safe drop off point at John Cline School.

The best scenario would involve all parties committing to funding and grants secured by the end of the summer, with field construction beginning this fall, and tennis courts eventually being available by spring 2010. While there are multiple stakeholders in the project who could become involved in funding and fund raising, the most recent appears to be the possible involvement of Winneshiek County. The idea was also pitched to Winneshiek County Supervisors on Monday, and they expressed their potential involvement because of the extensive number of users who are from Winneshiek County, outside city limits.