A 57 percent majority of Blaine residents support the construction of a community center, and if one is built, more than nine in 10 people said they would use it, according to a recently completed survey,

Slightly fewer than one in five residents said they opposed a center, while the rest said they didn't know.

The results came from a mail survey conducted this spring for the Blaine Community Center Task Force as the city revisits an issue that has simmered on and off for years.

The findings demonstrated "strong support in the community" for additional indoor programs and activities. said Todd Olson, task force chairman. "The survey showed there is not just a need, but support for it."

Olson said the task force will now pore through the findings to figure out exactly what features residents would want and support and how much they'd be willing to pay.

City leaders have looked at the idea of building a community center for nearly two decades, including a failed referendum in 1998. The city has grown sharply since then, from a population of about 45,000 to an estimated 62,000 last year.

A 2012 resident survey found that while 61 percent said they would support Blaine building a community center, nearly as many opposed the use of property tax dollars to pay for it. This time around, 55 percent of respondents said some increase in property taxes would be reasonable to them. Most of these people identified amounts between $15 and $50 per year as the maximum reasonable increase.

The City Council authorized formation of the community center task force last year. Mayor Tom Ryan said he wanted a group of residents a bit removed from city hall to study the issue and eventually bring its findings and recommendations to the council. The task force is made up of 18 people with opinions ranging from strong supporter to skeptic, Olson said.

The city hired ANA Research of Arden Hills to conduct the survey. Questionnaires were mailed to 1,000 households and slightly fewer than 400 were returned, Olson said.

The survey found support for a community center was strongest among people who had lived in the city for less than 10 years (although a slight majority of those who'd been there a decade or longer supported it), and among households with children.

Residents were also asked to weigh in on amenities. They rated "recreation components" — such as paths connecting to trails, an indoor track, a pool and multipurpose gymnasium — as the features most likely to be used and to provide some benefit to Blaine. That was followed by "community space/programs," like continuing education classes, programming for youth/teens and a multipurpose meeting area.

Olson, a father of four, said he backs construction of a community center. He said he and many other parents have to leave the city so their children's sports teams can find practice time. He said a well-thought-out center also would serve adults, seniors and community groups.

"It can give us a sense of community," he said. "Having amenities is good to retain and attract residents."

In 2014, city staff researched nearby community centers in New Brighton, Maplewood, Maple Grove, Shoreview and Andover. None of the five is self-sufficient. All of the cities built them with the understanding that the general fund would subsidize them, much like public parks and golf courses. Annual subsidies ranged from a high of $598,000 in Maple Grove for 2013 to a low of $125,158 in Andover.

Shannon Prather • 612-673-4804