ALEXANDRIA – Two big supporters of the Runestone Community Center expansion have pledged to provide a total of $625,000 in exchange for naming rights on parts of the building.
At its meeting Monday night, the Alexandria City Council approved a memorandum of understanding to give Bremer Bank exclusive naming rights for the East Arena, which is the original floor area of the RCC that opened in 1978. The bank pledged $325,000 in support.
The council also agreed to give Hilltop Lumber the naming rights for Arena 3, the new floor area that will be constructed as part of the expansion. The company pledged $300,000 in support.
Both agreements call for the pledges to be paid over a period of 10 years.
An agreement with more specifics on the naming rights will be prepared when the final design of the expansion is completed, according to city leaders.
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Front Burner Sports , which is negotiating the naming rights on the city’s behalf, hopes to get agreements for two other areas — the facility itself and an existing floor area. Other advertising opportunities will be available for other parts of the building as well such as the dasher boards.
Meanwhile, the RCC Capital Campaign Committee is continuing its work toward raising $8.8 million through sponsorships and private donations.
“The substantial backing from Bremer Bank and Hilltop Lumber really underscores the support in our community for this important project,” said Kent Kopp, chair of the Capital Campaign Committee, in a news release. “Expanding the RCC will have a tremendous economic benefit, and we couldn’t be more thankful to Bremer Bank and Hilltop Lumber for making this investment in our community. This is an important step forward for the project, and we fully expect to continue to build upon this positive momentum.”
Kopp added that the RCC is an important year-round economic driver for Alexandria, drawing people to the community with both its ice and dry-floor events. At its current size, however, it cannot maximize the opportunities or meet the increased demand to host events such as hockey tournaments, figure skating competitions, curling events, graduations, home shows and trade shows, according to Kopp.
As currently envisioned, it’s estimated expanding the RCC will generate an additional $2 million annually for local businesses.
“People came together many years ago to create the RCC, united behind a vision for creating a facility that would be an asset to the community,” Kopp said. “We all have an opportunity and a role to play in building upon their legacy and ensuring the RCC meets the demands of today and tomorrow.”
The total cost of the project is $20 million. The city has agreed to contribute $5.6 million to the expansion, matching the state’s $5.6 million contribution that was part of the Legislature’s 2020 bonding bill.
The new facility will connect to the center's two other buildings on its southern sides. It will feature a skating rink – which can be converted to accommodate dry floor events – locker rooms, a lobby, viewing areas, offices, an elevator for accessibility, community and physical rooms and a walking track that circles the upper level of the rink.
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The goal is to break ground in 2024.
To learn more about the RCC Expansion Project, including how to make a pledge, see the RCC Capital Campaign page on the City of Alexandria website . Donors who contribute $500 or more will have the opportunity to be recognized on a donor wall in the RCC. For questions about the project, contact Marty Schultz, city administrator, at mschultz@alexandriamn.city or (320) 759-3629.
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