Five Flags Civic Center Commission Correspondence to City CouncilCopyrighted
August 16, 2021
City of Dubuque Consent Items # 7.
City Council Meeting
ITEM TITLE: Five Flags Civic Center Commission Correspondence to City Council
SUMMARY: Correspondence from the Five Flags Civic Center Commission
(FFCCC) regarding the Five Flags reconstruction project.
SUGGESTED Suggested Disposition: Receive and File
DISPOSITION:
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
Commission Correspondence to Council Supporting Documentation
THE CITY OF
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August 4, 2021
Dear Mayor Roy D. Buol and Members of the Dubuque City Council,
This letter is written on behalf of the Five Flags Civic Center Commission (FFCCC) to
express our continued support for the Five Flags reconstruction project. As a
Commission, we unanimously voted to write a letter to encourage the city council to
keep this project on the priority list and expeditiously address the necessary action
items. The council voted to table discussion until at least January 2022, so we are
asking to have this topic brought back into discussions as soon as January arrives.
Recall that our last letter to the Council recommended setting a special election to vote
on a bond for the total remaining cost set for September 2020. The critical reason for
that original request was the deteriorating conditions of the Five Flags center as well as
a projected 34% annual increase in costs to make the improvements. For these same
reasons, we are asking this project is treated with priority.
Because we feel that the council should have the most up-to-date information regarding
any impact to the taxpayers, users and clients post pandemic we request that the city
fund and complete before the end of 2021 an updated analysis of the proposed project
including but not limited to: updated economic impact numbers of a new facility, detailed
subsidy comparisons of the existing facility vs a new facility for a 15 year period, hotel
motel tax implications and revised property tax. Any construction costs analysis should
be reflective of a achievable construction schedule for a future date and not current
construction costs.
As we proceed through what is hopefully the tail end of the pandemic, we can reflect on
the last year and a half. When we were all isolated from our friends and family we
turned to artists and performers to help us cope. Whether it was streaming content on
platforms like Netflix or connecting to performers live streams from their homes, we all
gained a greater appreciation for the arts and how important they are to our society.
During the pandemic, Five Flags was able to maintain a safe active schedule and has
proven again that Dubuque is ready to move forward with a new state of the art arena to
allow us to enjoy the sense of community and live entertainment that we have been able
to enjoy and share with many who visit our community.
Thank you all for your time. The FFCCC remains at your disposal for any questions or
information.
With Best Regards,
The Five Flags Civic Center Commission
Nicholas Huff — Chairperson
Tyler Daugherty — Vice Chairperson
Rod Bakke
McKenzie Blau
Bryce Parks
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