|
3
<br /> -c./ -N FRONTAGE ROAD
<br /> S X 2000 CONSTRUCTION
<br /> in Ell River „A ,_ 1...........1
<br /> The West Park features adjacent 20- _0 .. /c.., bills by 30 percent in Ohio and West Vir-
<br /> a n 1 1,
<br /> and 22-acre sites that run parallel to U.S. y ginia.We can also heat a swimming pool.
<br /> •10. These sites, which stretch west to ?A ;, Ate_, for around ten dollars a month, as op-
<br /> the Sherburne County Government Cen- Fes*�O _ posed to$300 a month for natural gas.”
<br /> ter,have been roughgraded and the utili- 4 xk. rria
<br /> � � 4a$
<br /> ties—gas,water and electric—are already ^. '
<br /> ,,resp
<br /> in place. ,{ iv 4,,:�' West Business Park Yet the average cost of industrial
<br /> On the other side of the Government = — _ -
<br /> square footage in Elk River will hardly
<br /> Center is an 83-acre tract scheduled to West Business Park detour a company from setting up shop.
<br /> be ready for development in September "The price of industrial land here,"
<br /> of this year. Both the East and West Nevinski said,"is quite reasonable.From$1 to$1.20 per square foot,
<br /> Parks sit on major transportation corridors, highways and rails that which includes the improvements. In some nearby areas, that price
<br /> link the parks to the rest of the state and beyond. goes up anywhere from $2 to $3 dollars per square foot." Yet, there
<br /> "These areas are zoned 'business park'and are ideal locations for are other incentives for prospective businesses.
<br /> campus environments,"Nevinski said."The design requirements are a bit Financially, Elk River is competitive with other communities in the
<br /> higher than the more established industrial parks we have, but trails, state,offering tax increment financing,tax abatement and sub-prime loans
<br /> ponds and other amenities will be incorporated into the parks as they among other tools.
<br /> develop." "We can also provide assistance to both new and existing businesses
<br /> that qualify,"Nevinski said,"but we're careful not to overburden our tax-
<br /> i...444444,
<br /> ax-
<br /> i. (*44 4. payers.Keeping taxes low is a priority of the council."
<br /> Even though the city is looking more toward embracing the industrial
<br /> company to take root and grow within its corporate limits, its arms E4,44.sy, e,;X,y,
<br /> have and will spread wider. Another drawing card for the city is its"Energy City"designation by a
<br /> "Though we've leaned toward more of the machining,metals and com- state organization called Energy Alley.Conservation,innovation and de-
<br /> puter-electronics companies,"Nevinski said,"we're looking for viable cades worth of just saying no to pollution has polished Minnesota's emer-
<br /> companies who are looking to stay in the area once they become estab- aid city as it strives to keep"green."
<br /> .lished.Companies who will create good wages and make capital invest- In 1998,the Environmental Protection Agency awarded Elk River its
<br /> ents—we're certainly open to meeting with them in the hopes of inviting Project of the Year for the city's flame that burns off methane that forms
<br /> them in."Sometimes that means helping companies establish themselves, inside landfill berms;and city environmental-energy leaders meet monthly
<br /> nonbankable companies who are looking to go public.Candidates forthe with state energy leaders in discussing energy matters since the city is
<br /> city's incubator program are chosen by the Economic Development Au- the state focal point for new energy technology and services.These"en-
<br /> thority. ergy talks"often produce award-worthy innovations such as"energy
<br /> "We're not necessarily targeting new manufacturing companies forthe houses"that feature a dozen or so energy technologies in each house.
<br /> incubator," Nevinski said, "but companies offering high-tech prod- Energy House I,for example,uses a geothermal pump for heating and
<br /> ucts or services."The EDA leases the incubator building at a low per- cooling the interior of the home,using the constant temperature of the
<br /> square-foot cost.The space has been improved and divided into various earth below the frost line.
<br /> suites.A company can pay a portion of its rent in cash,and the remainder Thecityisalsoreceive one of the largest wind generators in
<br /> { setto ece g g
<br /> of rent is bartered for stock. .the world.With a height of nearly 200 feet and blades with a diameter
<br /> One company currently in the Elk River incubator is SolarAttic,a corn- of close to 180 feet, the wind turbine will generate enough power to
<br /> pany that developed the technology to recycle the heat that gets trapped in run 250 homes.
<br /> attics. "Environmentally,"said Stephen Rohlf,the city's building and zoning
<br /> "We can take attic heat,"said company founder Ed Palmer,"and put it administrator,"Elk River has a reputation of being tough but fair.There's a
<br /> back into the house to reduce heating costs. Or we can use it to heat lot of mineral mining going on just north of town.When a mineral contrac-
<br /> swimmingpools or water.And when you take heat out of the attic,you tor was asked,in an environmental context,what the toughest city was
<br /> won't have to run the air conditioner as much in the summer."While he'd ever worked in,he said Elk River.And when he was asked what his
<br /> developing his energy-saving technology,Palmer worked out of his ga- favorite city to work in was,his answer was the same—Elk River.That's
<br /> rage for years, slowly refining the idea since June of 1984. In August one of the more honest compliments on our city that I can remember."
<br /> of '86 Palmer began working full time on his concept, and now he's Minutes from the Twin Cities yet far enough away to have maintained
<br /> taken it a step further by working out of the city's incubator. its small-town character,Elk River still offers both industrial and high-tech
<br /> Ed Palmer on the Elk River Incubator:"It's been extremely helpful—it got opportunities to companies looking to expand or establish themselves.
<br /> us out of the garage.The incubator gave us a commercial opportunity
<br /> where customers and investors can come out and see our products and *�
<br /> .ur small manufacturing facility. People are a little weary about driv- y„
<br /> ng out to someone's garage in a residential area. It's given us a big Elk River
<br /> boost in driving us forward."
<br /> SolarAttic pool systems are currently used in 33 states, and the 13065 Orono Parkway Elk River, Minnesota 55330
<br /> attic units in 16. TDD & Phone: 763-441-7420• Fax: 763-441-7425
<br /> "The attic unit has proved," Palmer said, "to cut annual heating www.elk-river.mn.us
<br /> REPRINTED FROM Business&Industry MAGAZINE
<br />
|