Design of proposed $17.3 million Detroit Lakes pavilion unveiled (2024)

DETROIT LAKES — A new plan for the Pavilion and City Park found support from a majority of the Detroit Lakes City Council during a special meeting on Thursday, April 18.

The new design offers a Northwoods architecture concept with vaulted ceilings and windows lining the beachfront side of the building.

Contributed / City of Detroit Lakes

Plans for the City Park renovations feature new playground equipment, a splash pad, town square and more.

Modifications to the designs can still be done, and proposed alterations were discussed at the meeting. However, the council agreed unveiling the plans to the public as soon as possible was imperative. Project approval comes down to voter support. Residents of Detroit Lakes would need to approve a half-cent general sales tax on the November ballot to fund the project.

City leadership has been kicking around the idea of a new paviolion for years, prompting resistance from some residents, who point to the historical significance of the building. The pavilion and structures in the City Park area were listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.

Last year, though, the council took steps to have the tax request on the ballot. In May, the state legislature approved the request. The project cost is not to exceed $17.3 million, and the maximum general sales tax duration would be up to 12 years or until the project is paid off.

The council still needs to approve a resolution to place the sales tax on the November ballot no later than August 13.

Residents may be familiar with the tax, as it was used to pay for the new police station in Detroit Lakes. Klemm said the half-cent sales tax previously generated about $2 million per year. The police station was paid in full after four years, instead of the nine years that was anticipated. Once the project was paid, the tax ended.

To give perspective on what the new general sales tax would cost on typical purchases, a $4 latte would see a tax of about 2 cents, or a $50 purchase would see a tax of 25 cents, Klemm explained.

Klemm said he is often asked what percentage of the tax (for the police station) was paid for by local residents versus visitors. After reviewing sales tax data from 2017, he estimated 60% of retail spending was generated by outside users.

Barbie Porter / Detroit Lakes Tribune

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When reviewing the Pavilion plans, the council returned to the question – what is the purpose of the facility, and does the new design serve that need?

The need was identified to be a gathering location that could seat up to 500 people.

According to the City of Detroit Lakes website , the current seasonal-use Pavilion seats up to 450 seated guests, although the facility only offers 405 chairs.

The existing Pavilion, which was built in 1915, offers a footprint of 12,495 square feet, with the main hall accounting for 8,000 square feet. The maximum wall height is 20 feet with the roof peaking at 27 feet.

Alderman Ron Zeman said he liked the new Pavilion concept, and how the footprint added 2,500 square feet. He felt the size addition was a fair increase, after 100 plus years of population growth.

“I don't think we can go any smaller than that,” Zeman said. “We want to do it right, so it'll last another 100 years.”

Contributed / Detroit Lakes Tribune

The proposed Pavilion plan offers a building that can be utilized year round. The building footprint is 15,600 square feet, with the main hall accounting for 8,502 square feet. The maximum wall height is 22 feet and the building peak is 30 feet 6 inches in height.

Alderman Shaun Carlson liked the new design, but questioned if the council was being short-sighted by scaling back on the project. He noted, with the amount proposed to be spent, it would be wise to provide enough space to ensure the facility has longevity without the need for additions.

“We just broke (a population of) 10,000, and the city's continuing to grow,” he said.

Building for the distant future wasn’t appealing to Alderman Jaimie Deraney. He explained, doing so would convert the size of the Pavilion into a convention center size.

“And that’s not the purpose of a Pavilion,” Deraney said. “I think keeping it to a certain size maintains that Pavilion idea.”

While the majority of the council spoke in favor of the newly proposed design, it didn’t find unanimous favor.

Alderman Aaron Dallmann expressed concerns about the aesthetics and costs associated with a new Pavilion.

“I'm sure all of you know what my thoughts are on it,” Dallmann said. “It doesn't even look like the Pavilion anymore. I'll support it, just for the fact that the people in this community can vote on it and put their say in it.”

Dallmann was also hesitent on how a new building would increase the rental fee, and if that fee would price out tax-payers that are paying for the new structure.

The daily rental rates of the current facility, between Monday and Thursday, is $450, plus sales tax. From Friday through Sunday, the daily rental is $1,300, plus sales tax. The city website states that a consecutive two-day rental special is offered at $2,300, plus tax. Should heat be needed, there is an additional cost of $130 per day.

New rental costs would be about $3,000 daily, Klemm said. It was not clear if the rental was a base cost, or for specific days. It was also not known if the rental included heat or air conditioning in the charge. An email requesting clarification was not answered by the time this article was published.

Klemm explained the estimated rental cost was determined by a business proforma, which used assumptions on how many events would be held.

The current rental calendar for the facility shows weekend events kick off May 17 and go through the end of September. Of those 22 weekends, 16 have events scheduled.

Klemm said the $3,000 rental fee would cover operating expenses, utilities and part-time wages.

Full-time wages or capital expenditures, such as maintenance, would require outside revenue sources, such as sponsorships, he said.

Klemm explained the venue has not been profitable during its existence, and much like the hockey arena, library or city parks, the Pavilion is to offer the public an amenity. He said minimizing the cost is a goal, but profitability has never been.

Alderman Wendy Spry stated the Pavilion offers a value that is not counted by profit or expense.

“It can become that draw into our community,” Spry said, adding she felt the new design was much more functional than the current building.

If voters approved the new general sales tax, Klemm said the final design would take place in the winter of 2024-2025 and the sales tax would be imposed in the first or second quarter of 2025.

The new Pavilion design is preliminary, meaning alterations can be made to spruce up the West Lake Drive entrance or shift gathering locations around before the final blueprints are bid.

The concept design offers four entrances into the Pavillion with the grand entry facing City Park. Other entrances are located facing West Lake Drive and on the opposite end of the building, as well as facing the beach front.

Several council members noted West Lake Drive entrance needed to be the main entry, and the entrance needed to offer a more captivating appearance.

“I don't think it's a thing of beauty,” said Community Development Director Larry Remmen said of the West Lake Drive entrance. “That's a detail that we can work on.”

The preliminary design plan, with the main entry facing City Park, offers a vestibule leading to a larger lobby. Bathrooms are located on either side of the lobby.

A meeting room is also located near the main entrance. And a storage room, media room and office are also located along the front of the building, near the West Lake entrance.

There is a hallway splitting the front of the building from the main hall.

“I’m a little concerned about how narrow and long the hall is, and how functional that is,” Klemm said, and then reiterated details such as that can be altered for the final design.

A second design was also reviewed by the council. It offered a footprint of about 15,000 square feet with the main hall accounting for 8,391 square feet of that space. The building height peaked at 38 feet.

Contributed / Detroit Lakes Tribune

Essentially, the second design option mirrored the Pavilion design that was pitched in 2023. The exception was, the second floor had been removed.

The 2023 Pavilion design had 25,260 square feet. Of that, about 16,760 square feet was on the main level, with the main hall accounting for 8,050 square feet. The wall height was 39 feet. The building height peaked at about 42 feet.

City Park is also part of the project, and improvements include a new bathhouse and playground, the addition of a splash pad water feature, stage area and a town square with artificial turf.

Klemm noted the east side entrance of the Pavilion leads to the town square, so activities could make use of both spaces. The town square concept utilizes artificial turf for the green space, instead of grass.

Contributed / City of Detroit Lakes

“I was a little reluctant on the turf,” Klemm said. But, it's amazing how well it really does hold up.”

Alderman Matt Boeke suggested the council consider increasing the size of the town square. He envisioned the area getting more use, if it could accommodate larger gatherings.

Spry said she would favor enlarging the town square, as long as it doesn't infringe “upon the true green space.”

Zeman cautioned against removing too much park land in the renovation plans. He recalled the public has expressed concerns about losing park land, when similar discussions arose in the past.

City Park design modifications could be made, in addition to alterations to the Pavillion proposal, Klemm noted.