Rochester leaders see plan for new $58M sports arena

Members of the Mayo Civic Center commission got their first look at a proposal for a new sports arena in Rochester on Tuesday.

A study by consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers predicts it would cost about $58 million to build a new arena.

The facility would return a projected $3.5 million or more annually by drawing larger concerts and other acts to the area. The ambitions include hosting a minor league hockey team.

Some private groups are interested in paying for the new arena, said Brad Jones, executive director of the Rochester Convention and Visitors Bureau.

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"We're trying to get up to 50, 60 percent of this project funded privately as a partner to the city," he said.

But Rochester City Council member Nick Campion said he's not sold on dedicating any public money to the facility. Rochester already has a lot of competition from the Twin Cities, he said.

"To get into that game, you have to be willing to put a lot on the table. I think we need to take a step back and consider whether that's our best approach to building a community that's a destination," he said.

The proposal for a new arena is in the early stages. The Rochester City Council will have to give the go-ahead for the convention center commission to continue planning.