by Evelyn Pyburn
The master plan that the MetraPark Advisory Board developed over a two year period, and then had to set aside amid a controversy about whether a private management company should be hired, is dead.
When asked at the MetraPark Advisory Board meeting, on Tuesday, about the status of the master plan, County Commissioner John Ostlund said, “The Master Plan is dead,” a conclusion with which Commissioners Don Jones and Mark Morse seemed to agree. Ostlund explained that there just isn’t the money to fund the projects proposed in the Master Plan.
Taxpayers aren’t going to support projects costing $30 million – maybe sometime in the future a $12 million or $14 million arena might be possible but the money just isn’t there now.
However, as a number of board members pointed out, there is still much in the plan that can be used to improve MetraPark. MetraPark Advisory Board member and past president, Rick Reed, said that while the plan is dead “it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t look at it to see if there are things we can salvage.” Another board member and past president, Charlie Loveridge, agreed. “There is a lot of information that is paid for and available that could help in improving Metra Park arena. There are a lot of ideas that would improve us. It is not a complete loss.”
Click HERE to Read Entire Story
