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Council reviews request to open Wave Academy merchandise shop at Civic Center
Summary
City staff and Wave Academy partner Matt Stangle asked the East Grand Forks City Council to allow a school-branded merchandise shop in the Civic Center’s front concession area under a one‑year, $0 sublease; staff said the arrangement would create no direct revenue for the city and that insurance and liability would follow existing school/company agreements.
East Grand Forks City staff presented a proposal to allow a Wave Academy–linked merchandise shop to operate from the Civic Center Arena’s front concession area.
Staff told the council that the concession space is currently leased to the Blue Line Club and that, under the lease, any sublet or third‑party use requires council approval. Matt Stangle of Signature Graphics, who said he has worked with the Wave Academy and already operates a wave shop at the high school, described plans to sell school‑branded apparel such as hoodies, T‑shirts and hockey gear and to involve students from the school’s business and marketing classes.
“Part of the arrangement would be a one‑year lease agreement that we could re‑evaluate at the end of the term,” staff said, adding the contract would be for $0 and would fall under the school district’s lease so that the city would not collect lease revenue.
Council members asked about profit sharing with the school and about liability and insurance. Stangle said his company, Signature Graphics, currently operates the school shop and that employees or students working in the shop would fall under the company’s agreement with the school; he said liability and insurance would be handled through that agreement.
Several councilors expressed support for active use of the space, and staff confirmed the Blue Line Club would retain storage in the area while the merchandise shop used the front concession stand. Staff said they would bring the matter back for any formal action required following continued review of insurance and the final lease paperwork.
The council moved on to the next agenda item without taking a final vote on the sublease at this meeting.
