Sizeable Donation Puts Rosemount Athletic Complex Back on Schedule

A timely donation from Dakota Aggregates has put the construction of the Flint Hills Athletic Complex back on track, according to Rosemount city officials.

On Tuesday, the Rosemount City Council approved a contract with the sand and gravel mining company. Under the contract, the business will donate $280,705 of grading, earthwork and construction material for the development of the 57-acre athletic complex.

The first phase of construction at the park was expected to begin this year, with Rosemount city staff planning to build three multi-purpose fields at the site that could be used for soccer, lacrosse, football or other sports.

Click on the PDF attached to this article for a detailed look at the park design.

But city staff taking soil samples on the property found a thick layer of clay underneath the site. Because clay topsoil impedes water drainage and is poor soil for athletic field turf, the Rosemount City Council and city staff were considering an extensive drainage and topsoil replacement project—which would have added a substantial amount to the project's cost.

When Dakota Aggregates Vice President Shawn Dahl heard of the city's dilemma, he offered to step in and help, according to Rosemount Parks and Recreation Department Director Dan Schultz.

"We have a very strong history of working with groups in town," Schultz told the council on Tuesday. "I think they wanted to see if there was something they could do, because their history the industry of sand and soils."

The cost of the project, including the unexpected topsoil replace, was estimated at just under $1.1 million, Schultz said. With the Dakota Aggregates donation and another, smaller donation, the project will likely cost $735,862, roughly $65,000 less than the amount the city had budgeted this year for the first phase of construction at the site, Schultz said.

Because of the donation, the city will be able to complete grading and seeding on the fields this year, and have them ready for play by 2015, Schultz said.

"That really makes a positive impact on this project," Schultz said. "I think it really helps us get this project underway and completed and finishing that first phase like we really wanted to."

This is something the community has been waiting quite some time for," Rosemount City Council member Kim Shoe-Corrigan said, referring to the athletic fields. "I know with the school growing and community growing, there’s definitely a need for green fields."