Bids for Marshall Aquatic Center Exceed Estimates by $5 Million

Issue #081

03 Sep

In this Marshall Area Insider issue…

☀️ Marshall, MN Weather - Sunny with a high of 80

🗞️ Fischbach and Simon Make the Rounds in Southwest Minnesota This Friday

🗞️ Bids for Marshall Aquatic Center Exceed Estimates by $5 Million

📣 Want to get your business in the Marshall Area Insider? Let’s talk!

📌 Know of other local events not listed? Send us the details!

Fischbach and Simon Make the Rounds in Southwest Minnesota This Friday

This Friday, southwest Minnesota is getting some attention from both federal and state officials.

U.S. Rep. Michelle Fischbach is swinging by Marshall in the morning, while Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon is heading to Granite Falls in the afternoon.

Fischbach is up for re-election in Minnesota’s Congressional District 7, which covers a good chunk of the western part of the state, including Lyon County.

Earlier this year, she faced a challenge from within her own party by Steve Boyd, a business owner from Kensington. Although the race led to an August primary, Fischbach came out on top, grabbing about 64% of the vote.

Now, she’s set to take on DFL candidate AJ Peters in the November election. Fischbach will be at the Lyon County Republican headquarters in Marshall on Friday at 11 AM.

Later that day, Secretary of State Steve Simon will be in Granite Falls as part of his statewide listening tour.

His visit is timed to highlight the start of early voting in Minnesota, kicking off on October 7. Simon plans to discuss a few hot topics, including how his office is tackling potential disinformation from AI and some of the new laws around elections.

He’ll be chatting with folks at the Bluenose Gopher Public House on Prentice Street at 3 PM.

Bids for Marshall Aquatic Center Exceed Estimates by $5 Million

Bids for the construction of Marshall’s new aquatic center have come in, but they significantly exceed initial estimates.

The city held a public bid opening, revealing that the lowest bid was approximately $22.37 million, far above the engineer’s estimate of $16.5 million.

Five construction companies submitted sealed bids, with base bids ranging from $22.37 million to $24.4 million.

The lowest bid was submitted by Breitbach Construction. The next steps involve a detailed review of the bids by Stockwell Engineers and city staff, followed by a presentation to the Marshall City Council at their upcoming meeting on September 10.

The project costs have risen since voters approved extending the city sales tax to fund the aquatic center.

Initial estimates placed the total project cost at around $18.95 million, including additional expenses such as safety equipment and construction administration.

Optional features like a body slide, climbing walls, and shade structures could add another $1.27 million.

A community committee is working to raise $1 million to fund these additional amenities, with over $500,000 already secured through donations and sponsorships.

Upcoming Area Events

 🗓️ Have an event to add? Send us the details!

Wednesday, September 4 (first Wednesday of every month)

  • Dementia Caregiver Support Group from 10:00 - 11:30 AM at Adult Community Center in Marshall

    • Open to everyone, come when you can, no cost or obligation to attend, refreshments available

    • For questions contact Jamie Lanners (507) 828-8891

Thursday, September 5

  • Democratic-Farmer-Labor Pop-Up Tent at 484 Craig Avenue on HWY 14 in Tracy from 5:00 - 8:00 PM

Friday, September 6

  • U.S. Rep. Michelle Fischbach at the Lyon County Republican headquarters in Marshall at 11 AM

  • Secretary of State Steve Simon at Bluenose Gopher Public House on Prentice Street at 3 PM

Wednesdays in August and September

  • Farmers Market in Granite Falls at the Riverwalk from 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Friday, September 6th - Sunday, September 8th

  • Minneota Boxelder Bug Days

Monday, September 9th

  • Lyon County Republicans Fall Banquet with Guest Speaker Liz Collin at the SMSU Conference Center starting at 5:30 PM - for more information visit the Lyon County Republican Facebook Group

  • Marshall Public Schools Retired Teachers/Staff Lunch at the Marshall Golf Club at 11:00 AM

  • Complementary tour of Southview Elementary at 601 E Southview Drive at 10:20 AM

Fridays in September and October, starting Sept. 6th - October 18

  • Stepping On Classes at 9:00 AM at Adult Community Center in Marshall (Free, donations accepted)

    • reduce your risk of falls, and learn techniques for maintaining an active and fulfilling live

  • Registration will be on Friday, August 30th at 9:00 AM

  • For more information of pre-registration contact Jane Como at (507) 532-1326

Thursday, September 12th

  • Democratic-Farmer-Labor Pop-Up Tent at 344 West Main Street in Cottonwood from 5:00 - 8:00 PM

Friday, September 13th

  • Car Cinema: Road Less Traveled at the Marshall-Lyon County Library starting at 8:30 PM

Thursday, September 12th - Monday, September 16th
Saturday, September 14th

  • Squidfest in Granite Falls from 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM

    • 10:00 AM: 5k run/ walk

    • 10:30 AM: Kids Disc Golf at Rice Park

    • 12:00 PM: Registration for Steve Virnig Memorial Dis Golf Tournament- Tournament begins at 12:30 PM

    • 12:00 PM: Tricia and the Toonies ENVIROShow at Plaza on Prentice Street

    • 1:00 - 4:00 PM: Todd’s Garage opens, free art & educational activities, live music performances, circus art performance

    • 4:00 - 6:00 PM: Live music performance by the Squid City Slingers in the City Parking Lot

    • 4:00 - 8:00 PM: Rib Fest at the American Legion

    • All day: Vendors & food trucks

Saturday, September 14th and Sunday, September 15th

  • Picker’s Paradise Fall Show at the Red Baron Arena & Expo in Marshall

    • Saturday hours: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

    • Sunday hours: 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Thursday, September 19th

  • Thursdays on 3rd in Marshall from 5:30 - 7:30 PM

  • Prairie Jam at Schwan Regional Event Center on the Campus of Southwest Minnesota State University

  • Democratic-Farmer-Labor Pop-Up Tent at the Minneota Farmers Market from 5:00 - 7:00 PM

Saturday, September 21st
Saturdays and Sundays starting September 21st - October 26th
Thursday, September 26th

  • Democratic-Farmer-Labor Pop-Up Tent at Knudson-Bosley Park (HWY 14) from 5:00 - 8:00 PM

Saturday, September 28th

  • Arts & Living History Festival at Memorial Park downtown Marshall from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Saturdays, starting July 6th - October

We want to take a moment to express our gratitude to you for being such a fantastic part of our newsletter community.

Your support, feedback, and engagement mean the world and it's what keeps us motivated to bring you valuable content every time.

But guess what? We're on a mission to make an even bigger impact on our community, and we need your help!

You can share our newsletter with your friends & family. Together, we can grow our community and reach even more people!

As a token of our appreciation for your support, you'll have the chance to receive a birthday shout out, a $10 gift card from Kwik Trip, or a $25 gift card from Rolling Hills Pizza! 🎉

So help us spread the word!

Marshall’s & Southwest MN’s Best Kept Secret:
Is Your Business One of Them?

We ❤️ local businesses!

We know our community is brimming with businesses that have fascinating stories and big hearts.

If you're a local business owner making waves, crafting unique experiences, or simply putting a smile on our faces, we want to chat with you!

Marshall Area Insider is eager to shine a light on the unsung heroes of our town. Send us a message and let's collaborate to let the community know what makes your business special!

👇 Select an option below:

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.