As our community grows, the demand for school usage from OMGBA and other community organizations also increases. The OMGBA Board decided to be in a financial state to be able to lease or purchase additional space for practices, games, and hold tournaments, as our school gym availability is depleted.
To address this, in early 2005, OMGBA established a "Building Fund" and shortly thereafter entered the Charitable Gaming industry in order to raise funds.
Monies were set aside. Fees were slightly increased and the increase was earmarked for the building fund. A winter session was added for the popular 1st and 2nd graders, with any "profits" earmarked for the building fund.
The options OMGBA has are:
- Do nothing (doesn't seem like a good option).
- Buy land and build a building (most expensive route).
- Buy an existing building (few have the height and/or open space we need).
- Partner with the School District.
- The school district could provide the land and parking (a plus).
- The school district, as we understand it, would maintain the facility.
- The school district would have M-F access until 6pm, during the school year (a possible minus, but probably okay).
- The school district would eventually own and control, unless negotiated like other sports have done (a minus).
- Partner with a city. This has not been explored yet, although other organizations are pursuing this with Maple Grove. Hockey wants to add a rink to the community center and Soccer, Baseball and possibly others want to build a Sports Dome, likely on school district property.
- Partner with another sport, such as volleyball, or baseball, etc., or another basketball organization.
What would OMGBA want? The brief discussions are we'd love to have a facility that would include 4 wooden floor, full court gyms, with the ability to expand to at least 6 gyms.
The facility would have concessions, a central entrance, and more... Parking could be an issue, so having a shared parking lot with a school or M-F 9-5 business could be very cost effective.
At this point, we do not have enough money set aside to even make a downpayment on land. We are very early in the process.
Our short term goal is to contribute to the building fund regularly to show other possible partners and lenders we can fund such a facility, and to discuss what we want, what we need, and to meet with possible partners.
In June 2007, we formed a committee and started researching our options and needs more thoroughly.
