Mines of Spain expand E B Lyons Ctr
8991 Bellevue Hts.
Dubuque, IA
52003-9214
563-556-0620
November 3, 2005
The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
City of Dubuque
City Hall-50 W. 13th Street
Dubuque, IA 52001
Dear Mayor and City Council Members:
The Friends of the Mines of Spain seeks to expand the E. B. Lyons Interpretive Center at the
Mines of Spain State Recreation Area to include more space for educational purposes. The
expansion would double the existing center, adding a multi-purpose room for programs and
events, a biology lab for school programs, a library for reference and educational materials, and
new exhibits interpreting the science and history of the region.
The Friends of the Mines of Spain is a non-profit corporation organized to inform and educate
the public on nature, ecology, conservation, greenbelt concept, natural history, archeology, and
current events pertaining to the Mines of Spain. The Friends group assists the Mines of Spain
Park Staff in the administering ofthe Mines of Spain and the E. B. Lyons Interpretive Center.
The Interpretive Center is owned by the City of Dubuque and is managed by the Iowa
Department of Natural Resources.
The E. B. Lyons Interpretive Center currently partners with many organizations and institutions
that promote better health, recreation, and education in the tri-state area. The Friends of the
Mines of Spain would like to broaden our Center partnerships to include the City of Dubuque.
We envision this partnership for the E. B. Lyons Interpretive Expansion Project to be similar to
those the City has established with the Four Mounds Foundation and the Dubuque County
Historical Society's Ham House Museum. In these partnerships, the City owns property that
these non-profit organizations manage and has budgeted for capital improvements for these
facilities.
The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
November 3, 2005
Page 2
The IDNR has budgeted $200,000 for engineering services for the $1.6 million E. B. Lyons
Interpretive Expansion Project, which we are using to leverage state, federal, and private grants
and donations. The Friends of the Mines of Spain is seeking similar financial support from the
City of Dubuque for the expansion project that we also can use to leverage additional funding.
With expansion of the E. B. Lyons Interpretive Center, the IDNR and the Friends group are
interested in replacing the Center's well and septic system with connections to City water and
sewer services, and any other investments that the City may be able to make in this public
facility.
We would appreciate the opportunity to review the E. B. Lyons Interpretive Expansion Project
with City Council members, the City Manager, and City staff, and to identify partnership
opportunities that can bring about this exciting project.
Thank you for considering our request, and we look forward to working with the City of
Dubuque. For your convenience, I will also be sending this letter electronically to the City
Clerk's office later this week, along with a ".pdf' file of the enclosed brochure.
I am most easily contacted via email at:
dougolk@hotmail.com
Alternatively, my home address and phone numbers are:
750 Tanglewood Ct.
Dubuque, IA
52003
563-557-8188 (H)
563-584-3440 (0)
Sincerely,
Douglas G. Olk, M.D.
President, Board of Directors
Friends of the Mines of Spain
cc: Michael Van Milligen, City Manager
Gil Spence, Leisure Services Manager
Wayne Buchholtz, Mines of Spain Park Ranger