The Mandan events center committee provided consultants some direction on a proposed facility at a special meeting held Friday.

At a mid-March public forum the events center committee received a number of alternatives on what type of events, locations and size of the facility might be. Based on that information the consultants JLG Architects and VenuWorks asked if they were on the right track and what changes the committee would like to see.

"We'd like confirmation that we're headed in the right direction," JLG's Dan Miller said via conference call. "If we have approval it will allow us to put together a hypothetical events calendar and that will allow us to forecast economic impacts of an events center. If you want us to look at different event profiles or a different size facility, those changes affect the calendar."

Committee member and Mayor Ken LaMont did express concern that proposed meeting and banquet rooms may put the events center into competition with local hotels. Seven Seas owner-operator Shannon Gangl was in attendance and also offered his concerns.

The event profiles the consultants have been focusing on involve: athletic events, flat floor exhibition events, agricultural, equestrian, livestock events, spectator-stage events, and conference, meeting, banquet and private events.

Miller is hearing that the facility will need two to four meeting rooms and a banquet setup for 150 to help auxiliary events. He said the community might be better served with five to six breakout rooms and the ability to have a banquet for 400 to 500 guests. The entire facility is expected to be 115,000 to 130,000 square feet in size.

It was questioned whether the proposed events center will be competing against Bismarck's Civic Center.

"To a certain degree that is unavoidable. But when you look at the events out there the Civic Center is much larger and attracts larger events while the Mandan events center will have a venue of smaller to mid-range events," Miller said.

Committee member Jason Arenz also didn't like the possibility of taking away from local businesses. While he was in favor of having a facility catering to athletic, ag-related and spectator-stage events, Arenz wasn't in favor of attracting conferences and banquets.

Miller said a comparable facility in Brookings, S.D., actually increased the revenues of hotels though it had full convention and banquet facilities. He added that the Canad Inn facility adjacent the Grand Forks Alerus Center also had a positive impact on surrounding hoteliers.

"I don't think that statement is accurate," countered Gangl. "Not for the three or four hoteliers I've talked to. One even lost their franchise because of the downturn in business. Brookings is not right next door to a city with a population of 65,000."

The committee did pass a motion that the consultants should plan on a facility with downsized meeting, convention and banquet facilities, and concentrate on the other events as outlined.

The consultants had identified five possible sites for the facility with locations in northeast and northwest Mandan ranking the highest. Committee member Mark Bitz pointed out that the 56 acres making up the northeast site had been platted by the owners and questioned whether it should be considered.

Miller, city administrator Jim Neubauer and business development director Ellen Huber all confirmed that the owners of the property were interested in the proposition. Miller said the parcel was big enough to allow other businesses to grow up around it, such as has happened with the Wal-Marts in Bismarck.

A larger parcel also is needed for a facility that can cater to rodeos and ag-related shows because of the parking that will be needed. While available property near Dacotah Centennial Park was smaller than the northern sites, there is available parking associated with the existing arena.

The committee approved a motion that the consultant base their work on the top-ranked sites.

The committee also approved a motion related to the facilities conceptual plans. Committee members want a practice arena and animal stables included in the project.

City commissioner Jerome Gangle noted that he had always thought the event center had been meant to help out the downtown area and wanted to know when it was decided to move it out.

LaMont said there isn't the area available downtown to provide for such a facility along with parking. Miller noted it will take a minimum of 25 acres for a facility as envisioned by the committee and that a downtown city block was about 2.5 acres in size.

It was noted that the if the project needed to be downsized the committee could take out the practice arena and stables considering them for future expansion.

Miller estimated it will take another three to four weeks before it is ready to meet with the city. At that time JLG will have a hypothetical events calendar and a refined conceptual design for the top rated site.

(Reach reporter Gordon Weixel at 250-8255 or gordon.weixel@bismarcktribune.com.)