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<br /> S Lund Industries(left)was the first ten-
<br /> '" .,:. ant in the Anoka industrial park.Com-
<br /> > munity Development Director Bob
<br /> . 3.,....i.,;,... , '- Kirchner(below)visits the common
<br /> stormwater pond in the park.
<br /> Anoka ` .
<br /> Enterprise tt. Y,
<br /> Park ',, -,O,...'-.-:.'-7'',fr.. - t„.-.,'-. ..... _ . ,, „ . . ,
<br /> finds success
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<br /> Free land = develo ment boomp
<br /> —by Jessica Gross—
<br /> ,When traditional marketing tracks to County Road 116, area were heightened by the fact "Nothing Anoka is doing is ille-
<br /> didn't work, the city of paving the way for development that the city did not have a specif- gal, immoral or fattening. The
<br /> Anoka decided to encour- in the northern 280 acres of the is development plan or any com- payback in Anoka is actually
<br /> age business development by park. petitive marketing strategies in more than most cities are getting,
<br /> handing out free land. Despite improved access, place. because they are providing the
<br /> It worked. development was slow in coming "We did not have a product that land and making it easy for corn-
<br /> Within a year, only 85 of 230 to this area,says Anoka Commu- was packaged and ready,"Kirch- panies to do business here," he
<br /> open acres in the city's industrial nity Development Director Bob ner says.Anoka began"an inten- says. The longest tax increment
<br /> park were available for develop- Kirchner."There was a perception sive planning process" for the financing (TIF)paybacj agree-
<br /> ment, and some of those sites that it was not an attractive park in early 1994."We laid it out ment in the park is five years,
<br /> were under negotiation.By offer- place,"he explains."There were based on consumer interest and compared to 10 to 20 for other
<br /> ing 3.5 square feet of free land for a lot of trucks parked over there, on the market, and on the city's cities.
<br /> every square foot of construction, and some old railroad ties were own objectives," Kirchner "The comparison is a loss for
<br /> the city transformed Anoka Enter- stored outside,and there is an old explains.Anoka took out options two to five years vs.a loss forev-
<br /> prise Park from nearly vacant sand and gravel operation that is on the land from the various own- er," Stout says, in reference to
<br /> industrial land to a successful not in business any more." ers, and developed the free land businesses that leave the area or
<br /> business park. In January 1994, the Anoka idea. the state, often because of high
<br /> The 380-acre park sits in the City Council rejected requests to Is the city selling its soul for property taxes. In fact, the city
<br /> northwestern section of town, rezone the park from light indus- development by giving away convinced several businesses that
<br /> north and west of Highway 10. trial to residential,and decided to land?Hardly,says Gary Stout,an were looking at Wisconsin and
<br /> About 100 acres are located commit itself to the development economic development consultant Dakota sites to remain in Min-
<br /> between Highway 10 and the of Anoka Enterprise Park. based in Salt Lake City. Stout's nesota.
<br /> Burlington Northern Railroad "The next step was to determine company,Public-Private Ventures "Anoka did a few things that
<br /> tracks; this area is mostly devel- why developers were not interest- Inc.,was hired by the city in late were very simple,but not a lot of
<br /> oped. In 1988,Thurston Avenue ed in the property,"Kirchner says. 1993 to assist in the development cities are doing them," Stout
<br /> was extended north across the Negative perceptions of the of the business park.
<br /> IIIPage 4■November 1995■Minnesota Industrial Properties
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