Discussion about this year’s bonding bill ramped up again Tuesday as Gov. Mark Dayton released his $1.5 billion public works proposal.

His proposal includes a variety of projects, including $542 million alone for the University of Minnesota and Minnesota State campuses. One of those campuses is Riverland Community College in Albert Lea, which Dayton is proposing $6.78 million for renovations.

The college has asked for state bonding dollars for several years in hopes of relocating truck driving and collision programs from Austin to Albert Lea and to integrate those programs into shared spaces with existing auto service and diesel programs. The college also hopes to demolish the Gateway Building and construct 7,482 square feet in additional space.

We are glad to see Riverland’s Albert Lea project included in the governor’s proposal, and we believe the renovations at the college will not only strengthen the school but also the community.

We encourage legislators in both the House and Senate to also support this project, but at the college’s full request of $10.1 million.

On top of the Riverland project, we hope Dayton and legislators will consider Albert Lea’s other bonding requests.

The first is for the last step to complete the Blazing Star Trail from Myre-Big Island to Hayward.

The Legislature first authorized the existence of the Blazing Star Trail in 1996. Initial funding came in 1998, and it took five years until the land deals were done so the trail could be built from Albert Lea into Myre-Big Island State Park. Hayward built restrooms in 2003, in anticipation of the trail bringing tourists to town.

Here we are now, 15 years later, and the project is still not completed. Though the pavement itself is finished, a bridge is necessary to connect the trail over Albert Lea Lake. The cost is estimated at $1.9 million.

We hope the Legislature and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources realize this can be a draw to the community and to the state park.

The second request is for $20 million for two phases of development of Blazing Star Landing.

This land has sat unused for many years after the Farmland Foods fire, and we believe that developing this land through public and private partnership could give a real boost to Albert Lea.

We look forward to hearing the Senate and House proposals in the near future.