A multipurpose indoor velodrome anchored by a 200-meter cycling track — a rarity in the United States — may be coming to a highly visible redevelopment site along the Interstate 494 corridor in Richfield.
The Minnesota Cycling Center, the nonprofit organization behind the proposal, says the estimated $40 million bicycle-racing facility would attract thousands of cycling enthusiasts and others to a three-parcel site at I-494 and Highway 77. The city describes the 3.7-acre location, which includes two city-owned parcels, as “one of the last remaining redevelopment sites along the I-494 corridor guided for mixed use.”
Jason Lardy, president of the Minnesota Cycling Center, said there are only three existing indoor velodromes in the U.S. — one each in Los Angeles, Detroit, and Colorado Springs — and 22 outdoor facilities. An outdoor velodrome at the National Sports Center in Blaine closed in 2019 after 30 years of operation. The Blaine facility surpassed its 20-year life expectancy, but “Minnesota weather finally caught up” with the outdoor wood structure, the cycling organization said.
“Our concept is the only concept for a velodrome in the Twin Cities,” Lardy said in an interview, adding that the project could include a 1,500-seat concert venue, depending on the final design.
The Minnesota Cycling Center, which is working with Leo A Daly on designs, presented its plans to a joint gathering of the Richfield City Council, Planning Commission and Housing and Redevelopment Authority last week. The council directed city staff to continue having discussions with the cycling center. The discussion was “positive, and policymakers were supportive of the concept,” Jan Youngquist, Richfield’s economic development manager, said in an email.
In an interview, Richfield Mayor Mary Supple said, “I was very excited to see the proposal because it’s going to be a regional draw for our community. We are excited to see where this goes. I think it would be a great amenity for Richfield.”
A staff report says the facility would include the cycling track, concert and event space, meeting rooms, retail space and a “flexible infield” suitable for basketball, volleyball, and pickleball courts. The Minnesota Cycling Center has proposed “various options” for those facilities, including a “temporary outdoor wood track for cycling, an indoor facility with an inflatable dome, and a permanent enclosed building,” the report notes.
Located in the shadow of the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and Mall of America, the development site includes parcels at 1600, 1620 and 1710 E. 78th St. The city initially purchased the property at 1710 E. 78th St. for construction of the 77th Street underpass, which is now complete. A private entity, the Mathwig Trust, donated the 1600 E. 78th St. property to the city and still owns the site at 1620 E. 78th St.
The trust has “indicated a desire to work collaboratively with the city and HRA to holistically redevelop the area,” according to the staff report.
The Minnesota Cycling Center’s proposal came in response to a “request for interest” issued by the city in January.
“We’re looking for something big and exciting that pulls people into Richfield, that also offers the people of Richfield something that they would use and enjoy,” Melissa Poehlman, Richfield’s community development director, told Finance & Commerce in September 2022. “We’re really looking for a showpiece here.”
For its part, the Minnesota Cycling Center says the Richfield site is ideal in part because it’s centrally located, highly visible, close to the airport, and located within a “bicycle-friendly” community. Another plus is the Highway 77 underpass, which improves connections to the airport and other destinations.
“For us to have that level of accessibility through the infrastructure that Richfield has already built is incredible,” Lardy said.
Lardy said the Minnesota Cycling Center will seek state bonding money for the project next year. Other anticipated funding sources include private fundraising, and some debt financing.
Richfield staff will work with the Minnesota Cycling Center to negotiate the terms of a preliminary development agreement and to “establish relationships with Parks and Recreation as well as the Richfield School District to discuss potential programming or partnerships,” Youngquist said.
l
