Dubuque hears feasibility study recommending second ice sheet and multipurpose courts for Schmidt Island

DUBUQUE, Iowa — The Dubuque City Council received a public presentation March 17 of a feasibility study for a sports complex on Schmidt Island that recommends adding a second ice sheet tied to ImOn Arena and building a multipurpose indoor court facility to serve regional tournaments and year‑round community use.

Ryan Peterson of RDG Planning and Design introduced the consultants and presented study findings prepared for the Dubuque Racing Association and donated to the city. "We're grateful for the opportunity to share an update to the Schmidt Island development master plan," Peterson said. The meeting was held as a special session in the Historic Federal Building; by notice the council did not accept public comment that evening.

The consultants — RDG (architecture/planning) and Johnson Consulting (market, financial feasibility, economic impact) — said local surveys and stakeholder interviews showed strong unmet demand for indoor courts, ice time and other sports facilities. The study team reported about 2,000 survey responses and said 84 percent of respondents indicated their needs were not being met. Based on market analysis and comparable regional facilities, the team recommended a program that centers on two elements: a roughly…