Three options for expanding the Corn Palace were discussed during a Mitchell City Council work session on Monday evening. Architects Robin Miller and David Greusel gave the presentation. The goal is to expand the seating and functionality of the building so it can be used to host a greater number and wider variety of events.
Option A would not provide the adequate seating, and it will likely not be a viable option.
Option B would add footprint to the east side of the building and by adding a new structure that would house city offices. That would free the current City Hall space for use by the Corn Palace. The option would also include demolishing the current stage and current locker room facility. That space would be occupied by another basketball court. The event floor would be expanded to 22,000 square feet, enabling three basketball courts to be located there. Another court would be located in the armory, which would be kept intact. There would also be retractable seating. The second level would include a club lounge for possible VIP space with potential higher level food and beverage service. Option B would expand the seating to 4,200 from the current 3,300 and would cost roughly $36 million.
Option C would provide the most seating by adding additional seats to the north and south side of the courts. Otherwise, Option C is similar to Option B in that it would also include the same retail space, the same locker room space, a new space for city offices, and the same addition on the east side. It would be more of a bowl shape configuration. Seating capacity would be 4,900 for basketball and more for center stage concerts. Option C also includes three basketball courts on the main floor, the club lounge on the second floor, and the armory court. Option C would be the most expensive, costing around $42 million.
The council took no action, and the proposals will be discussed further.