News you can use

Tourism district donates $125K to Northern stadium project

Donation brings Phase One total to $2.45 million; $550,000 to go

A grant from the local Tourism Business Improvement District has brought Montana State University-Northern one step closer to building a football stadium for the Northern Lights.

The MSU-Northern Alumni Foundation announced Wednesday that the Havre TBID board, primarily comprising representatives from local hotels, approved a $125,000 grant for the project.

"MSU-Northern is an incredible benefit to our community," Havre Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Julea Robbins, a member of the TBID board, said in a press release. "It employs our neighbors, draws thousands to campus and our community every year, and prepares students to contribute to society."

"By supporting this project, we're simply recognizing that impact and doing our part to make sure that it continues," she added.

The contribution by Havre TBID is a leadership gift that will be recognized at the stadium on the donor wall.

Several years ago, Northern started looking at building a football stadium and multi-use sports and education complex that could house classrooms, practice space, an events center and more.

The project has raised more than $2.4 million in less than a year for the first phase, much of it coming from Havre-area businesses and community members. An additional $550,000 is needed by spring of 2020 to start construction.

The first phase is to build the stadium in the practice fields west of Cowan Hall and Hagener Science Center, with Northern planning to seek funding to expand the project to build the sports complex in the future.

"This project will bring people together on our campus in new, exciting ways. We look forward to building a facility where we can host football games, ceremonies, community events - you name it," Northern Chancellor Greg Kegel said in the release. "The Northern Complex will be a place where our Northern students, alumni and the Hi-Line community can come to celebrate and appreciate one another."

TBID board member Mischelle Fisher of AmericInn said supporting Northern supports the community.

Northern is an economic driver on the Hi-Line with university events, including home football games and other athletic events, drive traffic to the local area and benefit the community as a whole.

The Northern Complex would allow the university to bring even more people and events to campus and the community. The conceptual drawings of the complex include event facilities with a modern event center, meeting rooms and a full commercial kitchen.

"Education in the class room is important, but our experiences teach us valuable life lessons as well," Fisher said. "The stadium is part of those experiences. We need more folks, young and old, to gather together with a common interest and impact each other's lives for the good. MSU-Northern is one of our local gathering places."

People who want to support the Northern stadium can contact the Northern Foundation at 265-3711 or visit http://www.northernalumnifoundation.org online.

 

Reader Comments(0)

 
 
Rendered 03/26/2024 22:18