KTTC Rochester, Austin, Mason City News, Weather and SportsCouncil approves bubble loan

Council approves bubble loan

ROCHESTER, MN (KTTC DT) -- Monday night, Rochester city council members voted to approve more than a million dollar loan. It will help fund a year-round practice facility, that is now only open for business for just half the year.

The loan will fund an inflatable $1.2-million bubble over the turf at the Regional Sports Stadium, allowing some sports to practice in the off-season.

Statistics show bubbles in other Minnesota city's are booked nearly 100-percent of the time.

A good thing - since this loan would primarily be paid back through through renters' fees.

The bubble will cover only the artificial turf at Rochester's Regional Stadium.

Brad LaPlante, RCTC football coach says, "I would assume we would have a choice of coloring, but with that teflon material, it would a gray or white."

The bubble would be inflated from about November through April, be about 55-degrees inside, and extend the length of a football field and 75-feet tall.

Now that you know what it would look like, here's what it would cost, as detailed at Monday's committee of the whole meeting.

Rochester's Community and Technical College Foundation says the bubble has about a $1.2.-million price tag.

The group has raised nearly $800,000 in pledges towards phase two of the stadium, used mostly by local soccer and football teams.

Phase one includes what you see here and was completed last spring.

Bob Groettum, RCTC Foundation says, "I think everyone agreed on the idea and concept behind it, so it's just working out the financing."

Groettum and the Foundation asked the city for a loan, Groettum says it will be paid back in five years with interest.

Michael Wojcik, Rochester city council member says, "My concern as a steward of the tax payers money is that we're paid back and I want to make sure we get a fair interest rate; getting paid back, right now, is being backed by getting paid with fundraising - that's not exactly the source I want protecting our tax payers dollars."

The foundation says its confident user fees will be high, which will primarily pay back the loan.

Teams could play football, hold softball tournaments, even allow marching bands to practice under the bubble.

Brad says, "I think there's a lot of people outside of RCTC even from the youth sports with soccer, baseball, and softball who I would hope to see out here using it."

The bubble should be up and running for the 2009-10 winter season.

If the foundation can't repay the loan in full after five years, the council will have priority over any money the Foundation has.

The last phase of this stadium includes additional seating, locker rooms, and concession stands.

Completion hinges on a price tag of about another five million dollars.