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The Polaris Technology Center on the east edge of Wyoming is right on-schedule for occupancy March 2005, and an impressive amount of progress has been made in the few months since construction began.

Spokesman Bob Kollross led an informal tour of the facility last week for members of the Chisago County Housing and Redevelopment Authority and EDA. An official facility opening event is anticipated in April or May.

The facility resembles a university athletic field house right now, with acres of open space under exposed girders and a flat PCV roof.

A glassed two-story corner attaches to the entry complemented by stone work and a U-shaped entry canopy.

The building is at the end of a sweeping drive that keeps the research and development facility far from casual motorists.

New hills, using excavated soils from the building pad have been placed on two sides of the technology center, both to screen the structure from residents nearby and for security enhancement. A west edge of the building sits adjacent to the Carlos Avery Wildlife Management Area boundary.

An additional security measure has closed County Road 84 and there are turn-arounds at either side of the Polaris entry, where gates are installed.

Kollross walked the tour group around the interior of the massive facility, describing what will be taking place in three main work areas each the size of a football field.

Smaller highly- specialized testing labs are attached to the open-style central work space. Numerous warehouse -sized overhead doors open to the outside so semi trucks can drive inside, load and unload and not subject products to prying eyes.

Technicians are going to be basically testing, researching and designing prototype units for Polaris’s snowmobile, all terrain and motorcycle divisions here.

This facility is being designed with expansion in mind, Kollross explained. There’s space for adding 450 employees in long range plans.

Ryan Co. is the contractor and a host of concrete, electric, heating, ventilating and other sub-contractors, most based out of the metro area are involved, Kollross noted.

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