FAQ
When ARAA began charitable gambling in 2016, we dreamed of building a dome for our athletes to utilize. Knowing that our organization works extremely hard to keep costs the lowest option for our families, we understood that this dream would be primarily funded by gambling revenue. Over time our gambling operation grew from one location to nine, and the dream went from a hope to something tangible.
Through covid, we have remained cautiously optimistic as our numbers continued to grow. We’ve reached the point where it is time to do something significant and more impactful with our gambling dollars than augmenting equipment needs.
The ARAA board has chosen to devote gambling resources to building our own facility.
We know our members may be concerned that building this facility will affect the prices paid for registration. We are thrilled to say it will not raise your fees a single cent. Annually ARAA pays out roughly a quarter of a million dollars in rental fees to outside vendors, which is paid through your registration fees. Opening our facility will keep rent dollars in our facility.
In addition to self-renting, we anticipate renting over 50% of the space in the dome out to other groups while still ensuring our athletes have their training needs met. Combining all rental fees paid internally, externally, and with dollars available from gambling revenue, ARAA can confidently say your athletic experience will improve drastically and won’t cost you more at the end of the day.
How is the ARAA Dome funded?
Every single year our association grows. As we grow, the space available for training shrinks. A quick trip through the parking lots of some training facilities will find packed parking lots from 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm five days a week. Even with that block of time at multiple sites, we still don’t have adequate time for many of our athletes to hone their skills in practice.
With our 175,000 square foot dome, we will have enough court space to facilitate 90-minute practices for 36+ basketball/volleyball teams per night and about as many turf-based teams. In addition to adding space and time for our athletes to train, the ARAA dome will bring everything under one roof. Gone will be the days of hitting three different schools at three different times with overlapping end times and hours of driving to get everyone where they need to be. Everything will be under one roof, located conveniently in downtown Ramsey.
Why build a dome?
What does this do for Ramsey and the surrounding communities?
This project will have an immediate impact on athletes both in our program and at the high school. Never before has our community had a dedicated athletic training facility. The impact of the ARAA dome will extend far beyond athletic fields and courts, however. We are working closely with partners and the city to bring in more retail space, restaurants, and hotels to help support all of the activities happening at the dome. Other communities in our area have seen private developments surrounding facilities that total more than $100,000,000. While we can't say for sure, we believe this will be a significant catalyst for our community's athletic growth and economic expansion. We anticipate our facility drawing renters and outside groups from 60+ miles away, bringing outside money into our community at restaurants and other retail locations.
Beyond economic and athletic benefits, the ARAA dome will act as a community center for the city of Ramsey. We anticipate providing memberships to athletes in non-training times, not in our programs. ARAA is also committed to providing hours inside the dome for seniors to walk and work out.
We truly believe this project will transform our community and make Ramsey a sports destination in Minnesota and the Midwest.
How can I learn more?
Please contact us! We can work with you to answer any questions or meet the needs of your business or organization.