This week many people in the community felt a great loss when the Fairmont Area Community Center Foundation (FACC) announced that it would end efforts on pursuing the project. Even though a structure was never built and shovels never even made it into the ground, some people still mourn the thought of what could have been.

In speaking with a few community members about it, most everyone admitted to being frustrated or disappointed by the news, some no doubt relieved, but hardly anyone said they were surprised by it and I think that in itself is sad.

While it was 10 years in the making, the last five years, since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, had riddled the project with a number of problems including rising costs from inflation, which lead to changes in the plans for the center itself, and changes in city leadership. There were also delays to the project which likely led some community members who were once in favor of the project, to lose their faith in it.

Because if you go back and look, 61 percent of the Fairmont voters back in 2016 had voted to support the half cent sales tax that would fund a community center. Sure the language in the ballot question also mentioned recreational amenities and trails, but as Council Member Randy Lubenow said this week, no one really brought that up until recently. Back when the question was asked, those who supported it knew they were voting for a community center.

Even those who did not want to see the project come to fruition can still appreciate the volunteers who put their time into trying to make this project happen for Fairmont and the surrounding communities. No doubt hundreds of hours were put into meetings and research on the project and finding various funding sources.

Those who also put in time to stop the project can come forth now and share what they’d like the $7.5 million raised in local option sales tax to fund. Their reasons for why they didn’t want a community center in Fairmont were out there, and many were perfectly valid, but what project should now be pursued instead with the funds, keeping in mind that they can only be used on recreational amenities or trails.

It’s important to remember that now that this project is officially done, the business is far from over as the city is now tasked with finding another way to spend the local option sales tax.

It’s true that the interim city administrator mentioned having some community engagement sessions, but he is soon done with his role in the city and as there’s no one set to come in, it remains to be seen who will take the lead on finding a use for the funds and also how much more time will pass before something is seriously looked at and decided on.

Let’s also not forget that some previously held community engagement sessions, for Gomsrud Park and most recently for Blue Earth Avenue, left many feeling like they weren’t heard.

The reality is that not everyone is going to agree on how to best use these funds. While not everyone agreed when the funds were earmarked for a community center, at least with that project there was a group of very dedicated, successful, well-connected people leading the charge. At least they were working toward doing something.

With that said, while it may look bleak now and some like to claim that Fairmont has nothing to offer, take a moment to actually think about the offerings that the community does have and the people who are working everyday to keep them or bring them here.

Just to name a few, there’s the bowling alley, movie theater, indoor playground, disc golf course, mini golf course, ice arena, aquatic park and programming through CER, the library, Red Rock Center, Fairmont Opera House and from a few other businesses, organizations and individuals who put on their own events from time to time.

I think that people can still mourn the loss of the community center that never was while trying to engage more in some of the offerings that are already here, all while voicing their thoughts on what the city could add in the future.