WC Minnesota News

Co-Chair Mary Franson and members of the House Capital Investment Committee are set to begin a three-day tour across Northwest and Central Minnesota to review infrastructure projects proposed for state funding. The tour, starting tomorrow, will take lawmakers through several counties where they will visit project sites and meet with local leaders.

The itinerary includes stops in the Anoka area at locations such as the National Sports Center and Super Rink in Blaine, Coon Rapids Dam, Rum River Dam in Anoka, and Hilltop Emergency Shelter/City Hall. In Central Minnesota, visits are planned for Morrison County’s Camp Ripley Veterans Military Museum and Mississippi River Bridge project in Little Falls; Crow Wing County’s Central Lakes College, Brainerd Public Utilities Water Treatment Facility, and DNR Wildfire Tanker Base at Brainerd Airport; as well as Stearns/Benton Counties’ Central Minnesota Healthcare Hub in Sartell, St. Cloud State University, Waite Park Ledge Amphitheater, and Benton County CSAH 1 Safety Improvements.

The group will also travel to Northwest Minnesota to see the BCA Laboratory and Bemidji State University in Beltrami County; Mahnomen Hospital in Mahnomen County; Thief River Falls Airport and regional water infrastructure projects in Pennington County; Red Lake County Courthouse and infrastructure rehabilitation projects; University of Minnesota Crookston campus and flood mitigation efforts in Polk County; Clay County Detention Center, Moorhead Fire Station 1, and Minnesota State University Moorhead.

In West Central Minnesota, stops include Fergus Falls Veterans Home in Otter Tail County; Alexandria Technical and Community College along with Alexandria Lake Area Sanitary District in Douglas County; and 210th Avenue reconstruction project in Glenwood (Pope County).

According to organizers, input gathered during these site visits will help guide recommendations for the next bonding bill during the upcoming legislative session. “These tours are an important way for lawmakers to see the projects and hear directly from local leaders,” Co-Chair Franson said. “Seeing these sites in person helps us understand the needs and make informed decisions about how to invest taxpayer dollars responsibly.”

This is the first of several planned statewide tours by the Capital Investment Committee aimed at gathering information on community priorities across Minnesota before finalizing recommendations for capital investment legislation.