Sponsor: County Manager's Office
Title
title
Bonding Project Prioritization
end
Recommendation
recommendation
The Ramsey County Board of Commissioners supports the 2026 bonding requests proposals and prioritizes the requests as follows:
1. Park at RiversEdge ($20 million)
2. Aldrich Arena & Community Event Center ($6.6 million)
end
Background and Rationale
body
The Minnesota Management and Budget Office (MMB) requires that local governments submit their bonding projects on or before June 13, 2025 in order to be considered for inclusion in the Governor’s 2026 Capital Budget. Ramsey County submitted two projects for MMB’s consideration. MMB also requires that the submitting authority prioritize their bonding proposals prior to October 17th.
end
County Goals (Check those advanced by Action)
☒ Well-being ☒ Prosperity ☒ Opportunity ☐ Accountability
Racial Equity Impact
The projects submitted address the economic development, and community recreation needs of the county. The resulting increase in the property tax base from the Park at RiversEdge is vital to creating more financial resources and stabilizing the property tax base in an extremely developed county like Ramsey County. The transformation of Aldrich Arena into a multipurpose event center will better serve diverse communities who have relied on the arena to host cultural celebrations, concerts, prayer services, and markets. Both projects will boost and improve the well-being of citizens across Ramsey County.
Community Participation Level and Impact
This action informs the public about the County Board’s prioritization of its existing list of bonding proposals.
☒ Inform ☐ Consult ☐ Involve ☐ Collaborate ☐ Empower
Fiscal Impact
The 2026 omnibus bonding bill will provide an opportunity for the state to partner with Ramsey County on important projects and priorities for the region. There is a 50/50 match required of local governments, should projects be included in the bill.
Last Previous Action
None.
Attachments
None.