Approval recommended to advertise for bids for basketball court for Jamestown Civic Center

JAMESTOWN — The Jamestown Civic Center and Promotion Committee recommended approval 4-0 to authorize the advertisement for bids for a new basketball court for the Jamestown Civic Center.

Councilman Dan Buchanan was not present at the meeting Tuesday, April 18.

The North Dakota High School Activities Association finalized its schedule where state basketball tournaments will be played. The Jamestown Civic Center will be the host site for the next two Class B girls basketball state tournaments.

If approved by the Jamestown City Council, the basketball court will be purchased with funds from the city sales tax fund.

The estimated cost for the new basketball floor is $175,000, The Sun reported in August. The current basketball floor has trade-in value that can help cover the cost of the new one. The new basketball court could also be paid from sponsorship advertising on the floor.

The Jamestown City Council plans on holding a special meeting on Thursday, April 20, to give final approval to authorize the advertisement of bids.

In other business, the Jamestown Building, Planning and Zoning Committee recommended approval 4-0 of a final plat and a replat of portions of land on property that the University of Jamestown owns located at 1004 N. University Drive for the potential construction of a sports bubble on an existing football and soccer practice field.

The final plat is for the University of Jamestown Athletic Second Addition, and the replat is for portions of blocks 6, 7 and 9 of the Jamestown College Subdivision and lot 2, block 1 of the University of Jamestown Athletic Addition.

The Building, Planning and Zoning Committee also recommended approval of a special use permit for UJ’s sports bubble on property located at 1004 N. University Drive.

The special use permit is for lot 1, block 1 on the University of Jamestown Athletic Second Addition. City Councilman Brian Kamlitz said the city of Jamestown has not issued a building permit yet for the project.

The University of Jamestown plans on constructing a sports bubble on the existing football and soccer practice field located to the south of Harold Newman Arena, according to the staff report for the application for a special use permit.

Thushara Dalugama, city planner, said the property for lot 1, block 1 of the University of Jamestown Athletic Second Addition is zoned as a general multiple dwelling district. He said any alteration or expansion of property requires a special use permit.

The Jamestown Finance and Legal Committee recommended approval 4-0 of a sales agreement between the city of Jamestown and Stride Development for land the city owns as negotiated by City Attorney Leo Ryan and Stride Development’s attorney.

The property is located at 101 and 107 2nd Ave. SE in Jamestown. The existing building was demolished and the site was cleaned up.

A gas station used to be located on the property.

In December, the Jamestown Finance and Legal Committee directed Ryan to review and negotiate a control agreement with Stride Development for property located on the same block to the west of City Hall. At the time, Mayor Dwaine Heinrich said Stride Development asked for an agreement with the city for the property so the company could apply for federal grants and tax credits to build a multi-unit apartment complex that includes for-purchase condominium units on the top floor.

In April, the Jamestown City Council introduced the first reading of an ordinance amending the district map to change the zoning for property located to the west of City Hall from a general commercial district to a central core commercial district. A public hearing and second reading of the ordinance will be held during the City Council meeting in May.

Ryan said he needs to know the duration of the option for Stride Development to purchase the property.

“Generally the way these work is during the option period, so they would pay some amount for the ability to purchase the property,” he said. “Then, If they did follow through (with) the purchase, you can draft the options so the amount that they paid for the option can apply to the purchase price. But then they would also be nonrefundable in the event that they did not exercise the option at the end of the option period.”

Ryan also said he needs to know if the Finance and Legal Committee is looking for any clawback provisions.

“In other words, does the city mind if they change the plan,” he said. “I think we’ve had a couple variations of the plan. I think the latest one was a low-income housing development. We have heard prior plans on the same project that included some not low-income housing. If we were going to offer them this option, do we want to hold them to it being entirely a low-income housing project or if we don’t mind if they change their plan for the development because they might want to provide some kind of mix.”

Heinrich said Stride Development hasn’t presented a final plan because the company is applying for government funding and the plan could be subject to how much funding it gets.

An option period of 12 months was chosen with a purchase price of $100,000 for the lot. Heinrich also suggested a $2,500 nonrefundable down payment for the property that would be put toward the purchase of the property if Stride Development decides to purchase it.