5.0. EDSR 06-14-2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

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411, "So,that was a perfect marriage,"Mr. Kummel recalls. Elk River was`pro-business' Craig Patterson,Director of Real Estate Development for Opus Northwest, says several sites were considered. The Joneses' local ties naturally led to discussions with the City of Elk River. But,the receptivity of city officials is what made the community a front-runner for the project,Mr. Patterson says. "Elk River was extremely pro-growth and pro-business,"he recalls. By spring 2000,the ANC team was working with Elk River city staff on plans for a new,build-to-suit facility.They identified the so-called Emmerich site,a 14-acre parcel in the city's West Business Park. The city had a joint marketing agreement with the private landowner. "That really streamlined the process for us,"says Catherine Mehelich,Elk River's Director of Economic Development. Under the plan, Opus Northwest would be the ow a er/developer of a facility of about 75,000 square feet and ANC would have a long-term lease with a p s 'on—an option it later exercised. D City staff proposed that Elk River establish a tax increme % . 1 i 11'istrict to assist in financing the development of the property by writing down the cost of the land. Th! ity would reimburse Opus • Northwest on a"pay-as-you-go"basis for land acquisition costs in the amount of$700,000,plus 8 percent interest. The project was expected to generate enough tax revenue to reimburse the city for land costs within several years. At first,the plan drew some neighborhood opposition.But,through a public hearing process,citizens came to realize that the modern,efficient facility would have a minimal impact on their quality of life. "It's a clean work environment, and that means a lot to us,"Ms. Mehelich says. The project also required a conditional-use permit to accommodate its large water tanks and,as the plans were moving through the approval process,the firm's name was changed to SoftPac. But,those proved to be minor complications.The plan was approved by the Elk River City Council in August 2000 and construction of the new SoftPac facility began the next month. "The city had the vision. They stuck to their guns,"Mr. Patterson says. "They could see the long-term benefits of having a corporate citizen like SoftPac." Site offered many advantages Mr.Jones,who retains a minority ownership interest and is now Vice President of Sales and Marketing for SoftPac, says far more than financing contributed to the decision to locate in Elk River. The site offered easy access to U.S. Highways 10 and 169,Interstate 94,and Minnesota Highway 101 - 0 an important consideration for a firm that distributes its products nationwide.