On May 26 a follow up meeting was held for the Upper Harbor Redevelopment Project. United Properties, the projects primary developer, has been negotiating with several organizations interested in making proposals for the “Health and Wellness Hub” portion of the development. Tom Strohm, a senior project development manager for United Properties, spoke of the current progress on the infrastructures and site rehabilitation work.
The main purpose of the meeting was to lay out the InterCity Tennis (ICT) proposal for the Health Hub portion of the development and how the project participants came to their decision to recommend ICT for this portion of the proposal. The other subject discussed was the movement of the Health Hub to south end of site to better fit the scope of the proposal from ICT.
InterCity Tennis is a Minneapolis, sports-based, youth development nonprofit founded in 1952 to offer youth tennis lessons in Minneapolis Parks. ICT currently operates the 11-court Ree Sweatt Family Tennis Center at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park in South Minneapolis. They currently operate year-round tennis programs including lessons, leagues, competitions and court rentals. ICT also offers programs for schools, parks and partner locations across Minneapolis. ICT has operated programs since 2002 in Minneapolis including in- and after-school activities, summer tennis in the parks, and through the ICT Northside Program Center.
The City was initially in discussion with Devean George (George Group North and Building Blocks) and the YMCA about the Health and Wellness Hub. The Upper Harbor Questions & Answers hand out at the June 26 meeting stated that the YMCA organization was not ready to be the owner of a development like the Health and Wellness Hub. United Properties and Building Blocks met with several other groups that did not have financial capacity to own and operate such facilities.
The relocation of the Health and Wellness Hub from the parcel 6B location to the parcel 5 site is due to the type and size of the facility. Parcel 5 is approximately 10.5 acres and Parcel 6B is 2 acres. The ICT is proposing a Community Sport Center for the Health and Wellness Hub. The vision is for the facility where people of all ages, all abilities and a variety of sports interests can enjoy physical activity and social connection. Tennis will be a focus, but the facilities and courts will be used for basketball, volleyball, pickleball, badminton, adaptive sports and other activities. The facility will include 12 courts, eight tennis and four multipurpose courts, that can be subdivided into a combination of basketball courts, volleyball courts and indoor soccer courts. The flexibility of this space will be designed for a variety of uses. The perimeter of the facility will be for a possible riverside restaurant or café, fitness center, sports retail shop, sports studio, yoga, dance or other options.
At this point it is ICT’s intention to both own and operate the facility. The City will own the land and through a long-term ground lease, a developer will finance, construct and own the building. ICT will own the building based on their ability to raise the capital to build the facility. A fundraising study should be complete by the end of the summer and ICT is also open to other ownership options that may emerge. Property tax classification and/or assessment is not determined at this point. Due to the divergence from the initial final plan, the new plan will be submitted to the City Council for review.