Goodhue Board approves Olympic ski jump near Red Wing
The Goodhue Board of Commissioners has approved new zoning and a permit for an Olympic ski jump south of Red Wing, Minn.
The jump is estimated to bring as many as 80,000 new visitors to the Red Wing area each year, including athletes training for the Olympics. More visitors are expected as the second half of the park opens in several years.
Dennis Egan, a spokesperson for the project, said work could begin as early as next month.
"We are really excited about bringing this to life," he said. "In a perfect world, we would actually start moving dirt in May of this year and then opening phase one in February or March of next year."
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The project will be an economic boon for the area, said Patty Brown, executive director of the Red Wing Area Chamber of Commerce.
"It will mean all kinds of jobs, employees, attendees, visitors, athletes, year-round activities as an entertainment destination," Brown said.
The project also includes plans for a concert venue, cross-country skiing course and an event center, among other things. It is expected to cost roughly $18 million.
Red Wing is home to the American Ski Jumping Hall of Fame and Museum, which opened in 2014 inside the St. James Hotel. According to the museum, the first recorded ski jumping tournament in the United States happened in Red Wing in 1887.