For years, leaders at the City of Litchfield and Litchfield Public Schools have gathered community feedback about the desire for a recreation and wellness center. Working together, we have developed a plan to address those needs, and we are excited to be sharing more details of that plan with residents. I would like to explain a bit more about the history of this project and how we got to this point.
In 2016, the City of Litchfield began exploring options for an aquatics and recreation center. However, we realized it was too big a venture to take on alone, and we would need a partner in order to make it viable.
A few years later in 2019, Litchfield Public Schools presented a potential solution by proposing a bond referendum question to fund some of these amenities. Voters rejected that ballot measure by 400 votes. In that election, area voters opted to approve two ballot questions that funded school improvements and safety measures and increased the district’s operating levy.
Residents expressed that a facility was still desired, but might work best as a joint project between the city and school district. The two government entities explored the option of a joint plan and have each proposed funding a portion of the project, using separate funding methods to tap different tax bases. In 2020 the State of Minnesota awarded the City of Litchfield a $5 million grant to assist in the funding of a wellness center.
Work began to identify which recreational resources the area currently lacks, and where current facilities fall short. The current school district pool facility is outdated and requires increasingly costly maintenance. Our community currently lacks an indoor facility that can house large community events. The area also has no indoor options for year-round walking and running.
It is envisioned that the facility would fulfill a wide variety of needs within our community, both during the daytime and evenings. The school district will not have sole use of the facility during school hours. The entire community — groups such as daycares, young families and senior citizens — would be able to utilize the facility during all operational hours. Uses would include, but not be limited to, open gym, swimming lessons, weight room and cardio exercise, room rental for parties, and activities such as: pickleball, walking, or even dodgeball. Additionally, the facility would serve as a gathering space for civic and community events such as craft shows, community festivals, intramural/club sports, and job fairs. The city and school district will be seeking input from the community regarding facility hours and activities schedules.
To address these needs the city and district each are seeking approval of a ballot question on Tuesday, Nov. 8. The school district is seeking permission to sell $13.5 million in bonds in order to fund its portion of the facility. For the owner of a median residential home ($170,000) in the district, the tax impact of the school district bond referendum would be about $6.84 per month starting in 2023. The city is seeking approval of a one-half of 1% sales tax, to be paid by anyone shopping in Litchfield — residents and visitors alike. The sales tax revenue along with $5 million in funding already secured through the State of Minnesota’s 2020 bonding bill will help fund the city’s portion of the facility.
Litchfield City Administrator
