Bowman, North Dakota — With construction nearing completion on a trampoline park, residents of the area will soon be able to embrace their inner kangaroo. The Edge-Bowman County Activity Complex is scheduled to open in February, said Chanell Walby, director of parks and recreation.
The trampoline park includes a dodgeball court, parkour course, and a climbing wall with airbag cushions for landing. Younger kids will have a blast at the indoor playground, which is also available at the complex, while older siblings can take advantage of the esports lounge.
“It’s a safe place for kids to go out there and have a Madden tournament, or have a Fortnite tournament, or do whatever they want, but it’s under a safe roof, and it’s a safe place.” Bowman Parks and Recreation Board President Chris Johnson said. “So we put in some modular furniture and a coach and put a nice TV on the wall. We can play.”
The complex has plenty of other things to do, including an exercise studio, racquetball and pickleball courts, a weight room, and more. In addition to party and meeting rooms, there is also a kitchen and concession area. According to Walby, a boardwalk borders the perimeter of the building.
“You can see it’s a central place for birthday parties for kids to have birthday parties and stuff like that,” Walby said. or you can sit down and have coffee and watch them play cards.It’s kind of a social gathering place where they get together.
Contributed by Chanel Walby
Johnson added that the facility has activities that people of all ages and backgrounds can enjoy.
“From babies to 99, you can find ways to use this facility,” he said. “Whether you are an athlete or a non-athlete, this facility is available to you, so the needs of everyone in your community can be covered and adapted.”
This project began about three years ago with a desire to expand Bowman’s Rousey Recreation Center.
“We hired an architect to build out the Rouzie Rec Center, complete with a gym, cardio room, weight room, outdoor pool and locker rooms,” says Walby. “We were going to add an activity space, a concession kitchen area, and a conference room for parties.”
The idea was to add 5,000 to 6,000 square feet to the building for about $1.7 million.However park board Instead, Walby said he decided to buy the former Shopco building for $900,000.
“Purchasing the Shopko building gave us an additional 20,000 square feet of land,” says Walby. “Our estimate was that we could do some renovations for about $600,000.
Walby said the extra room allowed the parks board to get creative with how it transformed the project.
“This board is kind of forward thinking,” Walby said. “We came up with a design and decided to set up a trampoline park here.”
Funding for the project comes primarily from a 1% sales tax that the city of Bowman passed in 2018 to improve and preserve capital, she said.
“We used a 1% sales tax to issue a $1.7 million bond, and the city has a seven-year bond, so we committed $50,000 a year for the next seven years,” Walby said. I was.
The Bowman County Commission also allocated $300,000 for construction, she added.
Contributed by Chanel Walby
“We tried to make this a one-size-fits-all project, so it will benefit everyone,” Johnson said. When we do something, we must at least try to serve everyone’s interests.”
The Park Board has also run a sponsorship program that allows organizations to purchase different parts of the Edge, which has brought in about $157,000, she said.
“In fact, we have a lot of support from the community through our sponsorships, so I’m confident we can do everything within our means,” said Walby.
Walby and Johnson hope the facility will bring in people from nearby communities.
“We wanted to do something that hadn’t been done before,” says Walby.
“We want it to be a multi-generational community building, not just for Bowman, but probably a 100-mile radius trampoline park in Bismarck and Rapid City. I am excited.”
Johnson said many are working to complete construction and open the complex as soon as possible.
“My kids are working, I’m working, we’re all just trying to make this happen,” Johnson said.
Contributed by Chanel Walby