Thank you!

On behalf of the Valley Community Center board, thank you to all who attended the community meeting last night. We are grateful for your earnest input, thoughtful questions and requests to contribute meaningfully to this initiative which will benefit our entire region.

The meeting began with a welcome from our Board President Dianne Polasik, longtime resident of the Valley and visionary behind VCC. Board Advisor and Planning Consultant Mark Wentzell then led his presentation which covered: Understanding the Community, Our Proposal, Next Steps, and Q&A. You may view Mark’s entire presentation here. Please note: all renderings are conceptual and not a final representation of the project.

The amenities in the plan are based on the 2023 results from the surveys which were sent to our entire primary service area: ISD 834. Programmed elements are not considered final.

Progress

One year ago almost to the day, was our first community meeting-with so many of you. We took what we learned and over the year carefully plotted a course that we believe will provide a sustainable model. We:

Developed a strategic plan which increased our board from 5 to 8 and hired a project manager.
Researched community centers and visited 8 successful ones in the Metro area asking: what works, what doesn’t work, and what do you wish you could do different.
Worked with a team of professional planners who did a demographic analysis that was 100 % supportive of a community center with the activities and programs we’re envisioning with the same planners we are working on an operational analysis.
Met with local event expert consultants to learn what kind of events and fees this center could consider to support its sustainability.
Began having ongoing interactions with potential partners at various levels of partnership, local govt. leaders, foundation leaders, service providers, community groups, people on the street. Everybody knows us now!
Researched and met with two landowners and want to expand our current 2 possibilities to 3 or 4.
Met and have bids from two consulting groups to develop a fundraising plan that we can be confident with. We will make a decision in Dec and get started.

Key Takeaways

1. Our board of directors is developing a path to success

We are finalizing a location (details are TBA as we have not yet entered or finalized a purchase agreement). This will result in the site being constructed, hopefully, beginning in summer of 2027 and open by Fall of 2028.

We are developing an operating model that is a balance of fee-for-service, philanthropy and local government funding. Our Board has plans to meet one-on-one with city officials and attend their city council meetings to gain input.

2. We will be initiating a 2-year fundraising campaign

This will take some time. We are building a huge amenity which is important for the community of the entire valley.
This campaign will include private philanthropy, city, county and state funds for construction. Where traditionally we would have a single city take the lead, because of the diffused nature of our region, we need something more comprehensive to bring this project together. This will likely be a joint request from public entities.

3. We will continue our grassroots effort in partnership with people like you.

Please join the mailing list for updates and ways to get involved.

We Welcome Your Input

Take a moment to share your thoughts by filling out the meeting follow-up survey here. After submitting, the survey will redirect you to a list of our local city officials. We aren’t including a script to copy/paste, but invite you to reach out to your representatives - and speak from the heart about why you want a community center here.

Complete the survey

At this time, no equivalent community resource exists in the St. Croix Valley.

There are many of us who have lived in the St. Croix Valley our entire lives, and see how badly this type of amenity is needed. There are families moving here, looking for a place to fit in, and meet people - and they aren’t finding it. Teens/young adults (and their caregivers) are looking for safe spaces for youth to connect and grow. Families are traveling 30+ minutes to surrounding cities for birthday party event spaces, swimming lessons in warm-water pools and indoor playgrounds. Caregivers are seeking gyms with clean and safe child watch so they can join a fitness class or take a meeting. Seniors are looking for a sanctuary where they can connect over coffee with a friend. Residents are looking for a place to exercise in a facility that is accessible.

This is a much-needed amenity. Through an extensive feasibility study, research, and community engagement, key priorities and amenities have been identified to ensure that the Valley Community Center meets the diverse needs of our growing population.

It will help our grassroots mission if you wish to send your representatives a note of feedback with what you liked from the community meeting presentation.

As always - thank you for your enthusiasm, and support!

Community Meeting Follow-up Survey

Community Meeting Photos

Below are a few photos and a video from the community meeting, if you wish to see. We had conceptual building plans from our architect consultant on display, comment cards, popcorn and La Croix. A quiet play area was set up for the children where they played with a “build your own community center” game, colored and puzzled.

It was a great night of community and connection! Thank you to our friends at Community Thread for letting us use their meeting space.