New future planned for pavilion

City to team up with private groups for fitness, sports

The city of Fort Dodge plans to partner with two private organizations to bring new workout opportunities and youth sports leagues to the pavilion in Corridor Plaza.

Under a proposal to be considered by the City Council Monday, the Fort Dodge Community Recreation Center, best known as The Rec, would provide fitness classes, weightlifting and other workout options.

The Siouxland Sports Academy, of Sioux City, would operate youth sports leagues and camps in the building.

The city government would continue to own the building, and would be responsible for major maintenance, utility bills, insurance and parking.

"It's brilliant how they're looking at this," said Dustin Cooper, executive director of Siouxland Sports Academy. "It is a brilliant concept."

Assistant City Manager Ryan Maehl said the proposed partnership "is going to be a great step in that building."

The partnership is intended to bring more regular activity to the Pavilion and Corridor Plaza in general. That activity would support nearby businesses and generate enough revenue to cover the pavilion's annual debt payments and operating expenses.

On Monday, the City Council will consider approving documents that declare its intention to create the partnership between the local government, The Rec and Siouxland Sports Academy. The council's regular business meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Monday in the Municipal Building, 819 First Ave. S.

If the council approves those general statements of intent, a series of detailed operating, financial and legal agreements will follow.

And it will be months before users of the pavilion notice anything different there.

Role of The Rec

Despite having Fort Dodge in its full formal name, The Rec is not a city government entity. It is a private non-profit organization, according to Executive Director Dave Pearson.

He said The Rec has 4,000 members plus another 1,200 members at its center on the Iowa Central Community College campus.

The Rec, he said, "instantly brings foot traffic" to the pavilion.

"We want to provide that foot traffic," he said.

To accommodate The Rec, the northeast and southeast corners of the pavilion will be renovated. The REC will pay for those renovations.

After that work is done, programs from existing REC facilities will move into the pavilion, according to the plan. The leadership of the organization will then have to decide what to do with those facilities.

Pearson said the site on the Iowa Central campus will remain open. But the future of the former YMCA at 1422 First Ave. S.; the Coliseum in the former Fareway store, 612 Second Ave. S.; and the 24-hour gym at 2105 Fifth Ave. S., will have to be decided.

Role of Siouxland Sports Academy

'We want to help this group create great opportunities for the youth of Fort Dodge," Cooper said. "Kids love to play basketball. Kids love to play volleyball. Parents are looking for opportunities for their kids."

He said Siouxland Sports Academy has sent teams to tournaments in the pavilion. He said it is a beautiful facility.

"It could really become a hub for youth sports in that area," he said.

According to Cooper, it will take two to three months for the academy to get its Fort Dodge operation ready. He said the group will be ready by the end of the first quarter of 2027.