One management company has returned a proposal for the future management of the Sanford Center.
ASM Global, based in Los Angeles, manages large and small venues across the planet, including the Target Center and U.S. Bank Stadium in the cities.
Executives from ASM will meet with the Sanford Center Transition Team today to go over further details in the contract.
Bemidji Mayor Jorge Prince highlighted some of the items ASM may bring to the table, such as funding for capital improvement, booking risk protection and incentive-based fees.
VenuWorks has an exit date of March 6.
The council is expected to formally approve a contract next month.
The council also heard an update on the second phase of the Water Treatment Plant.
The first phase has been in operation since last March and can treat up to 1,500 gallons per minute.
The next phase can treat up to 2,500 gallons per minute, which exceeds the city’s water use during the hottest days of summer.
The city has about $10.2 million in state bonding dollars as well as a multi-million-dollar settlement from 3M.
3M manufactured the firefighting foam linked to the contamination of the city’s well field at the airport.
The contamination was linked to the use of this foam during routine firefighting training exercises.
City Engineer Craig Gray ballparked the total cost of the second phase to be around $13.5 million.
The council discussed possibly adding solar panels to the treatment facility but is waiting to hear back from the airport authority.
The water treatment plant is adjacent to the airport and the glare from solar could impact pilots as they land and take off.
