BROOKINGS The Fifth Street Gym may or may not be privately owned at some point in the months ahead, but if it comes to pass, the city would be interested in remaining involved with the facility, the Brookings Park & Recreation Advisory Board learned at its Jan. 6 meeting.
Parks, Recreation & Forestry Department Director Kristin Zimmerman said groups have interest in purchasing the building. Those groups were curious if the city would be open to managing and operating the facility, currently owned by the Brookings School District, if a private purchase came to pass.
I said I would be supportive of that, she said. Were going as far as supplying a letter of support to the school district letting them know that we are open to managing and operating the Fifth Street Gym.
The gym is currently listed at $500,000 through Ryan Krogman of Century 21 Krogman & Company.
Year-round icing
In a development thats sure to please cold-weather activity enthusiasts, Zimmerman told board members that the Brookings Dental Clinic rink at Larson Ice Center will keep ice the entirety of the year. In the past, ice came off from both the blue and red rinks in April, leaving an ice-free gap of three or so months.
I think having ice those three months during summer would be really beneficial and also take some of the pressure off of the curling club and figure skating groups that dont have set seasons like hockey does, she said, adding that the bottom line, budgeting-wise, wouldnt be negatively affected.
The red rink, during its ice-free period, might be used for activities such as dodge ball, mini-golf and/or walking.
Its an open space we can program out, which I think will be really beneficial for our community, Zimmerman said the of red rink, adding that the blue rink could also host hockey camps and clinics during the summer. The more things that we can provide to keep people active and healthy and doing positive things, the better off were going to be.
In other business on Jan. 6, the board:
Learned that the Brookings Marathon will no longer be a May event. Starting this year, it will move to the fall; Oct. 18, to be exact.
The board has a vacancy with the resignation of member Doug Smith.
Contact Mondell Keck at [email protected].
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