Dockside Entertainment Center in Devils Lake now open, an effort in action since 1999 – Grand Forks Herald

DEVILS LAKE – A new family entertainment center has opened in Devils Lake, one of three projects completed by the Devils Lake Park District following a new sales tax initiative approved in 2022.

Dockside Entertainment Center opened on Thursday, May 16, and has been packed since opening day, said manager Christy Remmick. Among the first visitors were students on field trips from local schools.

“It’s been pretty busy from the moment we opened and closed the doors,” she said. “We had a lot of people passing by. … In fact, we’ve taken field trips almost every day since we opened.”

Dockside is a 30,000 square foot facility, renovated from a supermarket, that sits on the corner of Highway 20 and Highway 2. The center features six bowling lanes, five multisport simulator bays with over 30 games, an indoor playground , three sports courts set up for pickleball, a covered walking track on the perimeter of the building, a lounge area and two community halls, already rented for birthday parties. Park district offices have also been moved downtown and a snack bar is still in the works. Customers can purchase center memberships or purchase day passes.

The project is an example of the recreation boost the park district seeks to create through funds from a quarter-percent sales tax increase approved in 2022. The park district had been trying to pass a tax increase to fund a wellness center or similar facility project since 1999, Remmick said, but it failed each time until the most recent attempt was approved. Two failed attempts include one in 2014, which would have funded a new wellness center and convention center, and another in 2018, which would have funded a recreation center. The current sales tax increase will generate approximately $400,000 annually.

“People have worked really hard in the park district to make something work and we’re really excited that we can do it this time,” Remmick said.

The funds also helped the park district build a new baseball field and a new fishing lake. Remmick said there is a goal to make Dockside self-sustainable without using any of the sales tax increase funds so the district can work on its next project. The district plans to seek feedback on what the community would like to see.

So far, Devils Lake residents are enjoying Dockside and Remmick is happy to see the project come to fruition.

“I’ve been really involved in the community since I moved here 12 years ago, so I’ve been trying to make an impact in any way I can,” she said. “So being able to be a part of this facility has been a great opportunity to be able to see it being used and how excited everyone was to see the kids’ faces when they walked into the building for the first time. I don’t think they really know what to expect and then they just light up.”

Otto is the regional reporter for the Grand Forks Herald.