Albert Lea residents on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a $9.8 million referendum to renovate a number of recreation buildings around town, including the local hockey rink and the Marion Ross Performing Arts Center.
Residents approved the referendum about 3-to-1, with almost 2,500 votes tallied according to city officials.
“We look forward to working with our community on making the most of this investment,” Albert Lea Mayor Rich Murray said in a statement.
Most of the money will go toward renovating the city arena through expanding the building’s lobby, replacing the ice rink’s decades-old refrigeration system and making roof improvements, among other issues.
The Marion Ross center is set to get about $360,000 to fix some accessibility issues and utilities, while about $1.2 million will go toward the city’s aquatics center to replace utility systems and expand parts of the facility.
