Perham Approves Design Plans for $3.5 Million Arvig Park Trailhead Facility

Trent Swanson made clear at the Perham City Council meeting that "Operation Trailhead" was never just a hockey project. "We're organizing the rest of this for all these other community reasons," the Perham Area Youth Hockey Association representative told commissioners. The council agreed.

On March 30, commissioners Charlie Cavanagh, Chuck Hofius, Tim Meehl, Curt Osterfeld, Brad Schmidt, and Denise Schornack voted to authorize design and bidding plans for Phase 1 of the Arvig Park trailhead facility. The council hired Widseth, an architecture and engineering firm, to produce architectural drawings and bid documents. The full project carries a preliminary $3.5 million price tag; Phase 1 targets the skating rink and warming house specifically.

Here is how the funding is structured: PAYHA is responsible for covering the rink itself, estimated at $900,000 to $1.56 million of the $3.5 million total. The council also agreed to apply for a Minnesota DNR outdoor recreation match grant worth up to $500,000. A grassroots fundraising campaign aims to raise $1.8 million, with a local group of businesswomen called "Catfish Larry and the Lady Pants" building momentum through social media.

That leaves a meaningful gap if any piece falls short. How the project is funded will also determine how it is built. If the DNR grant is awarded, the city must publicly bid the project. If PAYHA self-funds as a nonprofit, the association can hire contractors directly. City Manager Jon Smith described the working ownership model as a city land lease to PAYHA, with the association constructing and then donating the completed building back to the city. "The idea is that it will be a city park facility," Smith said. "At the end of the day, it will be a public amenity."

Planned near the sledding hill at Arvig Park, the facility is designed for year-round use. The building will include restrooms, changing rooms, concessions, storage, rentals, and a warming house, anchored outside by a portable refrigerated ice rink. The broader site also serves cross-country skiers, a growing farmer's market, trail and bike path users, and existing amenities including pickleball courts, Frisbee golf, and a dog park.

The clearest financial risk on the horizon is the rink cost's $660,000 variable range. If construction bids come in at the high end, Phase 2 amenities could be deferred while PAYHA and the city work to close the gap. Cross-country skiing has already relocated to Arvig Park, with a temporary shelter planned to serve that activity and the nearby sledding hill while permanent construction awaits full financing.

David Arvig, the park's namesake and head of Perham-based telecommunications company Arvig Enterprises, has been part of planning discussions, joining at least one Committee of the Whole session remotely in August 2024.

The project's timeline hinges on grant outcomes and fundraising momentum. If the DNR grant is awarded, the public bid process will create a formal opportunity for community input before construction begins. Donations can be made directly to PAYHA or through a dedicated trailhead fund at the Perham city office.