Watertown City Council voting today on more borrowing for ice arena construction

July 11, 2022

Mike Tanner

WATERTOWN, S.D.–The Watertown City Council and Watertown Airport Board will be holding separate meetings in the same building, at the same time today.

Both meet at City Hall at noon.

There’s just one item on the agenda for the city council meeting, but it’s an important one for the future of a new ice arena in Watertown.

The council will consider borrowing another $10 million for arena construction.

The money, like the previous $20 million the council agreed to borrow, would be paid back from city sales tax revenue.

Updated cost estimates for the two sheet ice arena show construction costs approaching $35 million–well above previous estimates.

If the additional borrowing is approved today, groundbreaking for the ice arena will be held next month.

The Airport Board meets upstairs in City Hall at noon to approve lease agreements for a cash machine and vending machines to be placed in the new airport terminal, which will have its grand opening on August 26th.

Commercial flights could begin operating out of the new terminal as early as August 10th.