In a move that reflects the warmed relations between Voyageurs National Park and its gateway community, park officials are set to move their headquarters to a new complex leased from the city of International Falls, MN.
The Voyageurs National Park Association web site has the details on the move HERE.
The new headquarters is located on a 10-acre property along the Rainy River on the east side of International Falls. The complex was funded by $11-million in bonds approved by the International Falls’ Economic Development Authority. The complex will house the park’s main headquarters, its maintenance center, and a new research lab.
The facility will include the park’s administrative staff offices, archival and curatorial storage, conference rooms, and a public reception area. A maintenance building will provide space to repair boats and park vehicles, and include work areas for carpentry, welding fabrication, and parts storage.
Construction on the complex began last year. The facility is built to attain Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design silver certification. LEED is a third-party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for evaluating green buildings.
A Wilderness News reported HERE in 2008, efforts by International Falls mayor Shawn Mason, city councilor Tim “Chopper” McBride, Koochiching county commissioner Wade Pavleck, and Kathleen Miller, the Voyageurs National Park superintendent at the time, helped thaw relations between the local community and Voyageurs National Park to the degree the city and the park could partner with one another.
A formal dedication ceremony is scheduled for July 2.