A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held September 15th to celebrate the new Giants Ridge Pool & Sauna Haus in Biwabik. Scheduled to open on Friday, Sept. 26, the new facility is 9,700 square feet featuring an indoor swimming pool, a hot tub, two outdoor saunas, a spacious great room/lobby, as well as locker and mechanical rooms.

The celebration featured remarks from Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation (IRRR) Commissioner Ida Rukavina, Sen. Rob Farnsworth, Rep. Roger Skraba, IRRR Facilities and Operations Manager Sean Peyla, Giants Ridge General Manager Fred Seymour, Biwabik Mayor Steve Biondich and Discover the Range Executive Director Beth Pierce. Teresa Appelwick of Laurentian Chamber of Commerce provided the ceremonial ribbon and scissors. Approximately 40 people attended including local community leaders and residents, Giants Ridge employees and contractors.

Rukavina said, “The new Pool & Sauna Haus is an excellent complement to the already outstanding amenities at Giants Ridge. The community pool will create quality of life experiences for local residents, and visitors to the region will have yet another activity option. Giants Ridge offers some of the best outdoor recreation in the Midwest, and the new Pool & Sauna Haus gives an excellent option for winding down after a day on the slopes, trails or golf course.”

The commissioner complimented the professional skilled trades women and men who constructed the building, the Giants Ridge employees, the construction manager at Risk Kraus Anderson and the designer RSP Architects. Also assisting with the development was Glenn Auerbach of the Sauna Times Journal.

IRRR supported the new amenity with an $11.875 million investment. Giants Ridge is a major economic development driver in northeastern Minnesota with an annual economic impact of more than $55 million. This premier recreational destination draws in tens of thousands of visitors each year from Minnesota, across the United States and Canada, while also enriching the quality of life for those living in the surrounding areas.

Giants Ridge offers golf, lift-served mountain bike trails, hiking, a climbing wall and lake access during the summer. During the winter months, guests enjoy alpine and cross-country skiing, snow tubing, snowshoeing and access to over 2,000 miles of snowmobile trails.

Giants Ridge is owned by IRRR and managed by Guest Services, a hospitality management company.

Call 1-800-688-7669 for more information about the Pool & Sauna Haus.