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6.5. EDSR 12-21-2015 Request for Action To Item Number Economic Development Authority 6.5 Agenda Section Meeting Date Prepared by General BusinessDecember 21, 2015Amanda Othoudt, EDD Item Description Reviewed by Director’s Report Cal Portner, City Administrator Reviewed by Action Requested Information presented for discussion only in effort to keep the EDA updated development activity. Background/Discussion DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY Site Visits Staff has seen increased activity over the past few months on privately-owned industrial sites, county- owned data center site and the Northstar and Natures Edge business parks. Staff is working with local and regional brokers representing clients interested in pursuing developments on these city and county- owned parcels. Joplin Property – Ebert Construction Staff continues to work with Ebert Construction on the development of the Joplin and Highway 10 property. Staff has begun working with the county to start the process of securing interest in purchasing the remnant parcel from the county and working with the fair board to relocate the Sherburne County Fair sign. We are also working with MnDOT on the process to release the surplus easement at the southeast corner of U.S. Highway 10 and Joplin Street. The project has a number of utility issues that need to be mitigated. The costs to move utilities and stormwater are relatively high however a project like this is nearly a perfect case for TIF or tax abatement. If successful, this project puts acreage back on the tax rolls and adds a major improvement to a significant community entry point. Cargill Property Acquisition Staff met with representatives from Cargill to discuss safety concerns at Highway 10 and 165th Avenue. Staff also discussed future road and utility connections from Twin Lakes Road to 165th Avenue. Cargill representatives expressed interest in working with the city to make the connection between Twin Lakes and 165th Avenue. Staff has identified a couple of options, possibly purchasing the property from Cargill to make the road connection, or swapping the Cargill property for the city-owned property to the north. The city council supported the idea and directed staff to continue discussions with Cargill and conduct an appraisal on both the Cargill property and the city-owned property near the YAC. This project would add an additional 85 acres of industrial property that could be made available to developers. Patriot Converting Amanda has received an application for financial assistance from Patriot Converting. The company has outgrown their owned and leased space in Anoka and Champlin and has a property in Elk River under a purchase contract. The entire Minnesota operation of Patriot would relocate to Elk River. They also have a plant in Newton, IA which they are in the process of expanding as well. The application has been submitted to our financial advisor and will be reviewed at the EDA Finance Committee meeting on December 30th. Cornerstone Ford Expansion Staff has been working with representatives of Cornerstone Ford on their expansion project. They are finalizing the plans and specs for the project. They have indicated that they intend to apply for Tax Abatement Financing from the city and county on Feb 1, 2016. They are anticipating a spring 2016 construction start. MISCELLANEOUS Mid-America Economic Development Council (MAEDC) Conference Colleen attended the Mid-America Economic Development Council (MAEDC) in Chicago. The annual Site Selector forum was attended by over 300 economic development professionals from around the Midwest. The council hosted a tour of the UI Labs and DMDII (Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute). DMDII is 94,000 sf of space that houses advancements in digital manufacturing, education and workforce development. The flexible infrastructure provides a digital manufacturing demonstration site for the country and the City of Chicago. The development was created to solve large scale industrial challenges by forming consortia of university, industry, and civic partners who innovate and commercialize new technology solutions. The conference also included presentations on the state of manufacturing, how to attract foreign direct investments, and a site selector panel along with roundtables which was an opportunity to meet with site selectors in a small group informal setting. Golden Shovel EDA/HRA Website Kick off Meeting Staff attended an EDA/HRA website contract and kick off meeting with representatives from Golden Shovel Agency. The design and kick off meetings included discussions on project designs and functionality. This was the first meeting in the process of developing a new EDA/HRA website. Staff was provided with a timeline and a list of action items to be completed before the next meeting scheduled for January 7, 2016. Sherburne County Revolving Loan Fund Program The Sherburne County Board of Commissioners approved the Sherburne County Revolving Loan Fund program at their December 15, 2015 meeting. Sherburne County has dedicated $250,000 to the RLF program. The Initiative Foundation will administer the program. Financial Impact None Attachments None