More than 140 local business and civic leaders are made the trek to the State Capitol today for the first ever Greater Mankato Day. 

The event, modeled after similar efforts in previous years by other regional centers like Rochester, is intended to heighten awareness of our area among legislators. The group first went to the Capitol and made personal visits to legislators before heading to a reception at the Hilton Garden Inn in downtown St. Paul. Thirty businesses and organizations set up displays, and Greater Mankato Growth CEO Jonathan Zierdt and Minnesota State University, Mankato, President Richard Davenport spoke. 

In addition to Thursday’s efforts, organizers are pushing a campaign to send 1,000 e-mails and letters to Governor Pawlenty in support of Mankato’s request for $14 million in matching state funds to upgrade the Verizon Wireless Center. 

Assistant City Manager Tonya Ange says the bottom line is it will increase our ability to attract conventions and create work opportunities for our community.

“This project – the construction alone would create 450 jobs. And those jobs are going to Main Street Mankato,” Ange says.

However, not all the letters headed for the Governor’s desk are supportive.  Mankato residents Doug Ferguson and Marilyn Bennett have written Pawlenty saying they fully support his plan to veto “any bonding bills that are thinly veiled pork.”  They add that they enjoy the public facilities currently in place and say “most of [them] are already under-utilized.”